Homoleptic rare-earth metal(III) tetramethylaluminates: structural chemistry, reactivity, and performance in isoprene polymerization

The complexes [Ln(AlMe4)3] (Ln=Y, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Ho, Lu) have been synthesized by an amide elimination route and the structures of [Lu{(micro-Me)2AlMe2}3], [Sm{(micro-Me)2AlMe2}3], [Pr{(micro-Me)2AlMe2}3], and [La{(micro-Me)2AlMe2}2{(micro-Me)3AlMe}] determined by X-ray crystallography. These structures reveal a distinct Ln3+ cation size-dependency. A comprehensive insight into the intrinsic properties and solution coordination phenomena of [Ln(AlMe4)3] complexes has been gained from extended dynamic 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic studies, as well as 1D 89Y, 2D 1H/89Y, and 27Al NMR spectroscopic investigations. [Ce(AlMe4)3] and [Pr(AlMe4)3] have been used as alkyl precursors for the synthesis of heterobimetallic alkylated rare-earth metal complexes. Both carboxylate and siloxide ligands can be introduced by methane elimination reactions that give the heterobimetallic complexes [Ln{(O2CAriPr)2(micro-AlMe2)}2(AlMe4)(C6H14)n] and [Ln{OSi(OtBu)3}(AlMe3)(AlMe4)2], respectively. [Pr{OSi(OtBu)3}(AlMe3)(AlMe4)2] has been characterized by X-ray structure analysis. All of the cerium and praseodymium complexes are used as precatalysts in the stereospecific polymerization of isoprene (1-3 equivalents of Et2AlCl as co-catalyst) and compared to the corresponding neodymium-based initiators reported previously. The superior catalytic performance of the homoleptic complexes leads to quantitative yields of high-cis-1,4-polyisoprene (>98%) in almost all of the polymerization experiments. In the case of the binary catalyst mixtures derived from carboxylate or siloxide precatalysts quantitative formation of polyisoprene is only observed for nLn:nCl=1:2. The influence of the metal size is illustrated for the heterobimetallic lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, and gadolinium carboxylate complexes, and the highest activities are observed for praseodymium as a metal center in the presence of one equivalent of Et2AlCl.     

Tetramethylcyclopentadienyl-supported rare-earth metal bis(tetramethyl)aluminate complexes: Synthesis,structural chemistry,cation formation,and isoprene polymerization

The protonolysis reaction of [Ln(AlMe₄)₃] with H(Cp′) (Cp′ = C₅Me₄H) gives access to half-sandwich complexes [(Cp′)Ln(AlMe₄)₂]. X-ray structure analyses of the samarium, neodymium, and lanthanum derivatives reveal a distinct [AlMe₄] coordination (one η², one bent η²) for the two smaller rare-earth metals. The lanthanum complex displays an unprecedented dimeric structure with two μ₂-η¹:η² coordinating [AlMe₄] ligands in the solid state. Treatment of complexes [(Cp′)Ln(AlMe₄)₂] with perfluorinated organoborates and -boranes produces discrete contact ion-pairs, which are characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, ²⁷Al, ¹⁹F, and ¹¹B NMR spectroscopy and act as efficient initiators for the fabrication of trans-1,4 polyisoprene. The polymerization performance is hereby affected by the rare-earth metal cation size, the type of boron cocatalyst, and the polymerization temperature.     

Bis(guanidinate) alkoxide complexes of lanthanides: synthesis, structures and use in immortal and stereoselective ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters

A series of new bis(guanidinate) alkoxide Group 3 metal complexes [Ln((Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2)2(OR)] (R=OtBu, Ln=Y, Nd, Sm, Lu; R=OiPr, Ln=Y, Nd, Lu) has been synthesized. X-ray structural determinations revealed that bis(guanidinate) tert-butoxides are monomeric complexes. The isopropoxide complex [Y((Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2)2(OiPr)] undergoes slow decomposition in solution, to afford the unusual dimeric amido complex [(Y((Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2)2(mu-N(iPr)C triple chemical bond N))2]. Complexes [Ln((Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2)2(OR)] (R=OtBu, Ln=Y, Nd, Sm, Lu; R=OiPr, Ln=Y, Nd, Lu) are active catalysts/initiators for the ROP of rac-lactide and rac-beta-butyrolactone under mild conditions. Most of those polymerizations proceed with a significant degree of control. Bis(guanidinate) alkoxides appear to be well suited for achieving immortal polymerization of lactide, through the introduction of large amounts of isopropanol as a chain-transfer agent. The synthesized complexes are able to promote the stereoselective ROP of rac-beta-butyrolactone to afford syndiotactic poly(hydrobutyrate) through a chain-end control mechanism, while they are surprisingly non-stereoselective for the ROP of lactide under strictly similar conditions.     

Iminoimidazole‐based Co(II) and Fe(II) complexes: Syntheses,characterization, and catalytic behaviors for isoprene polymerization

A stereoselectivity switchable polymerization of isoprene has been developed, which is catalyzed by iminoimidazole‐Co(II) and ‐Fe(II) complexes. The influence of substituents ranging from electron donating to the electron withdrawing on the iminoimidazole‐Co(II) and ‐Fe(II) catalysts is investigated for isoprene polymerization. Two sets of iminoimidazole‐Co(II) and ‐Fe(II) complexes have been prepared and fully characterized. X‐ray crystallography analysis reveals that the complexes Co1 and Fe1 adopt distorted tetrahedral geometries. In the presence of AlEt₂Cl as co‐catalyst, all the Co(II) complexes are active and the catalytic activity is highly dependent on the molar ratio of Al/Co. All the Co(II) complexes exhibit higher activities at low Al/Co ratio. Compared with the Co(II) complexes, the Fe(II) complexes are essentially inactive under the identical condition. However, on activation with combination of AlEtCl₂ and [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄], both Co(II) and Fe(II) complexes display high activities with good conversions of isoprene (up to >99%). Additionally, low molecular weight and high trans‐1,4‐unit (>96%) selectivity are characteristics of the resultant polyisoprene. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2019 , 57, 767–775     

Synthesis and structural chemistry of bis(pyridylimino)isoindolato-ruthenium complexes and their activity as mediators in the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene

The reaction of the Bispyridyl Isoindole (BPI) type ligands L1 and L2 (L1 = 1,3-Bis(2-(4-tert-butylpyridyl)imino) isoindole, L2 = 1,3-Bis(2-(5-bromo)imino)-5,6-dimethylisoindole) with [Ru(μ-Cl)₂(cod)]_x in presence of triethylamine using coordinating solvents like acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide or pyridine cleanly gave the complexes [{BPI(L1,L2)}Ru^II(Cl)(S)₂] (L1: S = acetonitrile (1), dimethyl sulfoxide (2), pyridine (3); L2: S = acetonitrile (4), dimethyl sulfoxide (5), pyridine (6)). In these complexes the BPI ligands meridionally coordinated to the ruthenium center as established by X-ray diffraction for complexes 3 and 6. The catalytic activity in the direct ATRP (Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization) of styrene was tested for complexes 1-6.     

Genuine heteroleptic complexes of early rare-earth metals: synthesis, X-ray structure, and their use for stereospecific isoprene polymerization catalysis

Genuine heteroleptic neodymium and samarium complexes of formula [Cp*'Ln[(p-tol)NN](BH4)] (Cp*' = C5Me4(nPr), (p-tol)NN = (p-tol)NC(Me)CHC(Me)N(p-tol), Ln = Sm: 1a, Ln = Nd: 1b) have been synthesized for the first time. These unprecedented homologues of early lanthanocenes are prepared by a metathetic reaction between their monocyclopentadienylbisborohydrido precursors with the corresponding potassium diketiminate. Both complexes were obtained in good yields and were characterized by 1H NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Complex 1 a has an non-solvated dimeric structure, as indicated by its crystallographic data. The chloroneodymium analogue [Cp*'Nd[(p-tol)NN](Cl)] (2b) was only obtained as a part of a mixture. Analysis of crystals of 2b by X-ray diffraction revealed a molecular structure very similar to that of 1a. Preliminary isoprene polymerization experiments were carried out with 1 b in the presence of an alkylmagnesium coactivator. The resulting bimetallic Nd/Mg system behaves as an efficient and highly stereospecific catalyst with the synthesis of trans-1,4-polyisoprene with more than 98% regularity. The control of the polymer structure is related to the steric hindrance around the lanthanide atom.     

New insights into the polymerization of methyl methacrylate initiated by rare-earth borohydride complexes: a combined experimental and computational approach

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) initiated by the rare-earth borohydride complexes [Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] (Ln=Nd, Sm) or [Sm(BH(4))(Cp*)(2)(thf)] (Cp*=eta-C(5)Me(5)) proceeds at ambient temperature to give rather syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) with molar masses M(n) higher than expected and quite broad molar mass distributions, which is consistent with a poor initiation efficiency. The polymerization of MMA was investigated by performing density functional theory (DFT) calculations on an eta-C(5)H(5) model metallocene and showed that in the reaction of [Eu(BH(4))(Cp)(2)] with MMA the borate [Eu(Cp)(2){(OBH(3))(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e-2) complex, which forms via the enolate [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e), is calculated to be exergonic and is the most likely of all of the possible products. This product is favored because the reaction that leads to the formation of carboxylate [Eu(Cp)(2){OOC-C(Me)(=CH(2))}] (f) is thermodynamically favorable, but kinetically disfavored, and both of the potential products from a Markovnikov [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C-CH(Me)(CH(2)BH(3))}] (g) or anti-Markovnikov [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C-C(Me(2))(BH(3))}] (h) hydroboration reaction are also kinetically inaccessible. Similar computational results were obtained for the reaction of [Eu(BH(4))(3)] and MMA with all of the products showing extra stabilization. The DFT calculations performed by using [Eu(Cp)(2)(H)] to model the mechanism previously reported for the polymerization of MMA initiated by [Sm(Cp*)(2)(H)](2) confirmed the favorable exergonic formation of the intermediate [Eu(Cp)(2){O(OMe)C=C(Me)(2)}] (e') as the kinetic product, this enolate species ultimately leads to the formation of PMMA as experimentally observed. Replacing H by BH(4) thus prevents the 1,4-addition of the [Eu(BH(4))(Cp)(2)] borohydride ligand to the first incoming MMA molecule and instead favors the formation of the borate complex e-2. This intermediate is the somewhat active species in the polymerization of MMA initiated by the borohydride precursors [Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] or [Sm(BH(4))(Cp*)(2)(thf)].     

Yttrium and lanthanide complexes with various P,N ligands in the coordination sphere: synthesis, structure, and polymerization studies

Yttrium and lanthanide complexes with different P,N ligands in the coordination sphere have been synthesized. First the chloride complexes [{CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2}Ln{(Ph2P)2N}Cl] (Ln = Y (1 a), La (1 b), Nd (1 c), Yb (1 d)) having the bulky [CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]- and the flexible [(Ph2P)2N]- ligands in the same molecule were prepared by three different synthetic pathways. Compounds 1 a-d can be obtained by reaction of [{[CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]LnCl2}2] with [K(thf)nN(PPh2)2] (n = 1.25, 1.5) or by treatment of [{(Ph2P)2N}LnCl2(thf)3] with K[CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]. Furthermore, a one-pot reaction of K[CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2] with LnCl3 and [K(thf)nN(PPh2)2] leads to the same products. Single-crystal X-ray structures of 1 a-d show that the conformation of the six-membered metallacycle (N1-P1-C1-P2-N2-Ln) which is formed by chelation of the [CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2]- ligand to the lanthanide atom is influenced by the ionic radius of the central metal atom. In solution dynamic behavior of the [(Ph2P)2N]- ligand is observed, which is caused by rapid exchange of the two different phosphorus atoms. Further reaction of 1 b with KNPh2 resulted in [{(Me3SiNPPh2)2CH}La{N(PPh2)2}(NPh2)] (2). Compounds 1 a-d and 2 are active in the ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone and the polymerization of methyl methacrylate. In some cases high molecular weight polymers with good conversions and narrow polydispersities were obtained. In both polymerizations the catalytic activity depends on the ionic radius of the metal center.     

Chromium(III) complexes bearing bis(benzotriazolyl)pyridine ligands: synthesis,characterization and ethylene polymerization behavior

Reaction of benzotriazole with 2,6-bis(bromomethyl)pyridine and 2,6-pyridinedicarbonyl dichloride yields the tridentate ligands 2,6-bis(benzotriazol-1-ylmethyl)pyridine (1) and 2,6-bis(benzotriazol-1-ylcarbonyl) pyridine (2). The molecular structures of the ligands were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. These ligands react with CrCl₃(THF)₃ in THF to form neutral complexes, [CrCl₃{2,6-bis(benzotriazolyl)pyridine-N,N,N}] (3, 4), which are isolated in high yields as air stable green solids and characterized by mass spectra (ESI), FTIR spectroscopy, UV–Visible, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and magnetic measurements. After reaction with methylaluminoxane (MAO), the chromium(III) complexes are active in the polymerization of ethylene showing a bimodal molecular weight distribution. A DFT computational investigation of the polymerization reaction mechanism shows that the most likely reaction pathway originates from the mer configuration when the spacer is CH₂ (complex 3) and from the fac configuration when the spacer is CO (complex 4).     

A lutetium allyl complex that bears a pyridyl-functionalized cyclopentadienyl ligand: dual catalysis on highly syndiospecific and cis-1,4-selective (co)polymerizations of styrene and butadiene

A novel linked‐half‐sandwich lutetium–bis(allyl) complex [(C₅Me₄? C₅H₄N)Lu(η³‐C₃H₅)₂] ( 1 ) attached by a pyridyl‐functionalized cyclopentadienyl ligand was synthesized and fully characterized. Complex 1 in combination with [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] exhibited unprecedented dual catalysis with outstanding activities in highly syndiotactic (rrrr>99 %) styrene polymerization and distinguished cis‐1,4‐selective (99 %) butadiene polymerization, respectively. Strikingly, this catalyst system exhibited remarkable activity (396 kg copolymer (mol_Lu h)^?1) for the copolymerization of butadiene and styrene. Irrespective of whether the monomers were fed in concurrent mode or sequential addition of butadiene followed by styrene, diblock copolymers were obtained exclusively, which was confirmed by a kinetics investigation of monomer conversion of copolymerization with time. In the copolymers, the styrene incorporation rate varied from 4.7 to 85.4 mol %, whereas the polybutadiene (PBD) block was highly cis‐1,4‐regulated (95 %) and the polystyrene segment remained purely syndiotactic (rrrr>99 %). Correspondingly, the copolymers exhibited glass transition temperatures (T_g) around ?107 °C and melting points (T_m) around 268 °C; typical values for diblock microstructures. Such copolymers cannot be accessed by any other methods known to date. X‐ray powder diffraction analysis of these diblock copolymers showed that the crystallizable syndiotactic polystyrene (syn‐PS) block was in the toluene δ clathrate form. The AFM micrographs of diblock copolymer showed a remarkable phase‐separation morphology of the cis‐1,4‐PBD block and syn‐PS block. This represents the first example of a lutetium‐based catalyst showing both high activity and selectivity for the (co)polymerization of styrene and butadiene.     

Postmetallocene lanthanide-hydrido chemistry: A new family of complexes [{Ln{(Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2}2(mu-H)}2] (Ln = Y, Nd, Sm, Gd, Yb) supported by guanidinate ligands-synthesis, structure, and catalytic activity in olefin polymerization

The new family of Lewis base free hydrido complexes of rare-earth metals supported by guanidinate ligands [{Ln{(Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2}2(mu-H)}2] (Ln = Y, Nd, Sm, Gd, Yb) was synthesized and structurally characterized. Single-crystal X-ray and solution NMR studies revealed that these complexes are dimeric in both solid state and in [D6]benzene. The dimeric hydrido complexes can adopt eclipsed (Nd, Sm, Gd) or staggered (Y, Yb, Lu) conformations depending on the metal-atom size. Catalytic activity of these [{Ln{(Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2}2(mu-H)}2] complexes in the polymerization of ethylene, propylene, and styrene has been investigated. Complexes of Sm and Y have high catalytic activity in ethylene polymerization (1268 and 442 g mmol(-1) atm(-1) h(-1), respectively).     

Half-sandwich dibenzyl complexes of scandium: Synthesis, structure, and styrene polymerization activity

Half-sandwich dibenzyl complexes of scandium have been prepared by stepwise treatment of scandium trichloride with lithium derivatives of silyl-functionalized tetramethylcyclopentadienes (C₅Me₄H)SiMe₂R (R = Me, Ph) and benzyl magnesium chloride. The resulting complexes [Sc(η⁵-C₅Me₄SiMe₃)(CH₂Ph)₂(THF)] and [Sc(η⁵-C₅Me₄SiMe₂Ph)(CH₂Ph)₂(1,4-dioxane)] show structure related to that of the corresponding bis(trimethylsilylmethyl) compounds [Sc(η⁵-C₅Me₄SiMe₂R)(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF)]. The four-coordinate complexes display η¹-coordinated benzyl ligands without significant interaction of the ipso-carbon of the phenyl moiety. Conversion of [Sc(η⁵-C₅Me₄SiMe₃)(CH₂Ph)₂(THF)] into the cationic species by treatment with triphenylborane in THF led to the formation of a stable charge separated complex [Sc(η⁵-C₅Me₄SiMe₃)(CH₂Ph)(THF)_x][BPh₃(CH₂Ph)]. Benzyl cation formed using [Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄] in toluene resulted in a moderately active syndiospecific styrene polymerization catalyst.