Understanding the Reshaping of Fluorinated Polyester Vitrimers by Kinetic and DFT Studies of the Transesterification Reaction

Vitrimers are a third class of polymers gathering the mechanical properties and solvent resistance of 3D thermosets and the reprocessability of thermoplastics. This unique behaviour is due to the triggering of certain covalent exchange reactions that allow the network to rearrange upon application of a stimulus. The constitutive feature of vitrimers is the adoption of a glass-like viscosity during the rearrangement of the network, often due to an associative mechanism for the exchange reaction. Transesterification networks are one of the most studied type of vitrimers that usually require the incorporation of a catalyst, implying the associated drawbacks. Following up on a recent report on catalyst-free transesterification vitrimers in which the ester functions are particularly reactive thanks to the presence of fluorine atoms in α- or β-position, parallel DFT calculations and an experimental kinetic study on model molecules are presented in order to quantitatively assess the effect of neighbouring fluorinated groups on the transesterification reaction rate.     

Lewis acid promoted aldol additions of α-thiosilylketeneacetals to α-alkoxy aldehydes: diastereoselective synthesis of syn-α-methylene-β-hydroxy-∂-alkoxy esters.

MgBr₂ mediated addition of Methyl α-methylthio propionate silylketene acetal to α and α,β-alkoxy aldehydes is highly 3,4 $\text{syn}$-selective (18:1). $\text{syn}$-α- methylene-β- hydroxy-?-alkoxy esters (6) and (8) are synthesized.     

Asymetric dihydroxylations via chiral oxazolidines

The title compounds, new chirally masked α,β unsaturated aldehydes, undergo diastereoselective dihydroxylation reactions with 45–60% diastereisomeric excesses; chromatographic purification of the major diols, di-O-protection and auxiliary removal afford optically pure α,β dialkoxy aldehydes.     

Rh(I) coordination chemistry of chiral alpha-aminophosphine(eta6-arene)chromium tricarbonyl ligands

The diastereoselective addition of Ph(2)PH to the chiral ortho-substituted eta(6)-benzaldimine complexes (eta(6)-o-X-C(6)H(4)CH=NAr)Cr(CO)(3) (1, X = MeO, Ar = p-C(6)H(4)OMe; 2, X = Cl, Ar = Ph) leads to the formation of the corresponding chiral aminophosphines (alpha-P,N) Ph(2)P-CH(Ar(1))-NHAr(2) (3, Ar(1) = o-C(6)H(4)(OCH(3))[Cr(CO)(3)], Ar(2) = p-C(6)H(4)OCH(3); 4, Ar(1) = o-C(6)H(4)Cl[Cr(CO)(3)], Ar(2) = Ph) in equilibrium with the starting materials. The uncomplexed benzaldimine (o-ClC(6)H(4)CH=NPh), 2', analogously produces an equilibrium amount of the corresponding aminophosphine Ph(2)P-CH(Ar(1))-NHAr(2) (4', Ar(1) = o-C(6)H(4)Cl, Ar(2) = Ph). Depending on the equilibrium constant, the subsequent addition of (1)/(2) equiv of [RhCl(COD)](2) (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) leads to either Ph(2)PH oxidative addition in the case of 3 or to the corresponding [RhCl(COD)(alpha-P,N)] complexes [RhCl(COD)(Ph(2)P-CH[o-C(6)H(4)Cl[Cr(CO)(3)]]-NHPh)] (5) and [RhCl(COD)(Ph(2)P-CH(o-C(6)H(4)Cl)-NHPh)] (5') in the cases of the aminophosphines 4 and 4'. The addition of the latter ligands, as racemic mixtures, to (1)/(4) equiv of [Rh(CO)(2)Cl](2) leads to the [RhCl(CO)(alpha-P,N)(2)] complexes [RhCO(Ph(2)P-CH[o-C(6)H(4)Cl[Cr(CO)(3)]]-NHPh)(2)Cl] (7) or [RhCO(Ph(2)P-CH(o-C(6)H(4)Cl)-NHPh)(2)Cl] (7') as mixtures of (R(C),S(C))/(S(C),R(C)) and (R(C),R(C))/(S(C),S(C)) diastereomers. The rhodium complexes 5 and 7' have been fully characterized by IR and (31)P NMR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography. These compounds exhibit intramolecular Rh-Cl.H-N interactions in the solid state and in solution. The stability of the new rhodium complexes has been studied under different CO pressures. Under 1 atm of CO, 5 is converted to an unstable complex [RhCl(CO)(2)(alpha-P,N)], 6, which undergoes ligand redistribution leading to 7 plus an unidentified complex. This reaction is inhibited under higher CO or syngas pressure, as confirmed by the observation of the same catalytic activity in hydroformylation when styrene was added to a catalytic mixture that was either freshly prepared or left standing for 20 h under high CO pressure.     

Asymmetric Induction at C(β) and C(α) of N-Enoylsultams by Organomagnesium 1,4-Addition/Enolate Trapping

The 1,4-addition of alkylmagnesium chlorides to conjugated N-enoylsultams and subsequent ‘enolate trapping’ with aq. NH₄Cl or MeI/hexamethylphosphoric triamide generated centers of asymmetry at C(β) and/or at C(α) with good to excellent π-face defferentiation as demonstrated by the conversions 1 → 2 , 1 → 4 , and 8 → 9 . This holds also for the regioselective 1,4-addition of EtMgC1 to a dienoylsultam ( 15 → 16 ). Reactive conformations 1 ^≠, 8 ^≠, 13 , and 14 are postulated in agreement with X-ray evidence which also served for the structure determination of the product 9j .     

Fluoroalkyl Radical Generation by Homolytic Bond Dissociation in Pentacarbonylmanganese Derivatives

Thermal decarbonylation of the acyl compounds [Mn(CO)₅(COR_F)] (R_F=CF₃, CHF₂, CH₂CF₃, CF₂CH₃) yielded the corresponding alkyl derivatives [Mn(CO)₅(R_F)], some of which have not been previously reported. The compounds were fully characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods and by several single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The solution-phase IR characterization in the CO stretching region, with the assistance of DFT calculations, has allowed the assignment of several weak bands to vibrations of the [Mn(¹²CO)₄(eq-¹³CO)(R_F)] and [Mn(¹²CO)₄(ax-¹³CO)(R_F)] isotopomers and a ranking of the R_F donor power in the order CF₃<CHF₂<CH₂CF₃≈CF₂CH₃. The homolytic Mn−R_F bond cleavage in [Mn(CO)₅(R_F)] at various temperatures under saturation conditions with trapping of the generated R_F radicals by excess tris(trimethylsilyl)silane yielded activation parameters ΔH^≠ and ΔS^≠ that are believed to represent close estimates of the homolytic bond dissociation thermodynamic parameters. These values are in close agreement with those calculated in a recent DFT study (J. Organomet. Chem. 2018 , 864, 12–18). The ability of these complexes to undergo homolytic Mn−R_F bond cleavage was further demonstrated by the observation that [Mn(CO)₅(CF₃)] (the compound with the strongest Mn−R_F bond) initiated the radical polymerization of vinylidene fluoride (CH₂=CF₂) to produce poly(vinylidene fluoride) in good yields by either thermal (100 °C) or photochemical (UV or visible light) activation.     

Oxygen‐Triggered Switchable Polymerization for the One‐Pot Synthesis of CO2‐Based Block Copolymers from Monomer Mixtures

Switchable polymerization provides the opportunity to regulate polymer sequence and structure in a one‐pot process from mixtures of monomers. Herein we report the use of O₂ as an external stimulus to switch the polymerization mechanism from the radical polymerization of vinyl monomers mediated by (Salen)Co^III?R [Salen=N,N′‐bis(3,5‐di‐tert‐butylsalicylidene)‐1,2‐cyclohexanediamine; R=alkyl] to the ring‐opening copolymerization (ROCOP) of CO₂/epoxides. Critical to this process is unprecedented monooxygen insertion into the Co?C bond, as rationalized by DFT calculations, leading to the formation of (Salen)Co^III?O?R as an active species to initiate ROCOP. Diblock poly(vinyl acetate)‐b‐polycarbonate could be obtained by ROCOP of CO₂/epoxides with preactivation of (Salen)Co end‐capped poly(vinyl acetate). Furthermore, a poly(vinyl acetate)‐b‐poly(methyl acrylate)‐b‐polycarbonate triblock copolymer was successfully synthesized by a (Salen)cobalt‐mediated sequential polymerization with an O₂‐triggered switch in a one‐pot process.     

Anionic Halomolybdate(III) Chemistry. Tetrahydrofuran Loss from [MoX(3)Y(THF)(2)](-) (X, Y = Cl, Br, I), Preparation and Properties of [Mo(3)X(12)](3)(-) (X = Br, I), and Crystal Structure of the Edge-Sharing Trioctahedral [PPh(4)](3)[Mo(3)I(12)

By interaction of MoX(3)(THF)(3) with [Cat]X in THF, the salts [Cat][MoX(4)(THF)(2)] have been synthesized [X = I, Cat = PPh(4), NBu(4), NPr(4), (Ph(3)P)(2)N; X = Br, Cat = NBu(4), PPh(4) (Ph(3)P)(2)N]. Mixed-halide species [MoX(3)Y(THF)(2)](-) (X, Y = Cl, Br, I) have also been generated in solution and investigated by (1)H-NMR. When the tetraiodo, tetrabromo, and mixed bromoiodo salts are dissolved in CH(2)Cl(2), clean loss of all coordinated THF is observed by (1)H-NMR. On the other hand, [MoCl(4)(THF)(2)](-) loses only 1.5 THF/Mo. The salts [Cat](3)[Mo(3)X(12)] (X = Br, I) have been isolated from [Cat][MoX(4)(THF)(2)] or by running the reaction between MoX(3)(THF)(3) and [Cat]X directly in CH(2)Cl(2). The crystal structure of [PPh(4)](3)[Mo(3)I(12)] exhibits a linear face-sharing trioctahedron for the trianion: triclinic, space group P&onemacr;; a = 11.385(2), b = 12.697(3), c = 16.849(2) ?; alpha = 76.65(2), beta = 71.967(12), gamma = 84.56(2) degrees; Z = 1; 431 parameters and 3957 data with I > 2sigma(I). The metal-metal distance is 3.258(2) ?. Structural and magnetic data are consistent with the presence of a metal-metal sigma bond order of (1)/(2) and with the remaining 7 electrons being located in 7 substantially nonbonding orbitals. The ground state of the molecule is predicted to be subject to a Jahn-Teller distortion, which is experimentally apparent from the nature of the thermal ellipsoid of the central Mo atom. The [Mo(3)X(12)](3)(-) ions reacts with phosphines (PMe(3), dppe) to form products of lower nuclearity by rupture of the bridging Mo-X bonds.     

Enantioselective synthesis of secondary alcohols in the presence of chiral ligands

The synthesis of two S-proline derivatives is described together with their use as chiral ligands for lithium in reactions of n-butyllithium with benzaldehyde to give 1-phenyl-1-pentanol with moderate optical purity. The presence of lithium salts in the reaction mixture causes a decrease in asymmetric induction.