Rare earth metal alkyl complexes bearing N,O,P multidentate ligands: Synthesis, characterization and catalysis on the ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide

Alkane elimination reactions of rare earth metal tris(alkyl)s, Ln(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂ (Ln = Y, Lu) with the multidentate ligands HL^1-4, afforded a series of new rare earth metal complexes. Yttrium complex 1 supported by flexible amino-imino phenoxide ligand HL¹ was isolated as homoleptic product. In the reaction of rigid phosphino-imino phenoxide ligand HL² with equimolar Ln(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂, HL² was deprotonated by the metal alkyl and its imino CN group was reduced to C-N by intramolecular alkylation, generating THF-solvated mono-alkyl complexes (2a: Ln = Y; 2b: Ln = Lu). The di-ligand chelated yttrium complex 3 without alkyl moiety was isolated when the molar ratio of HL² to Y(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂ increased to 2:1. Reaction of steric phosphino β-ketoiminato ligand HL³ with equimolar Ln(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂ afforded di-ligated mono-alkyl complexes (4a: Ln = Y; 4b: Ln = Lu) without occurrence of intramolecular alkylation or formation of homoleptic product. Treatment of tetradentate methoxy-amino phenol HL⁴ with Y(CH₂SiMe₃)₃(THF)₂ afforded a monomeric yttrium bis-alkyl complex of THF-free. The resultant complexes were characterized by IR, NMR spectrum and X-ray diffraction analyses. All alkyl complexes exhibited high activity toward the ring-opening polymerization of l-lactide to give isotactic polylactide with controllable molecular weight and narrow to moderate polydispersity.