Synthesis of (1-adamantylimido)vanadium(V) complexes containing aryloxo, ketimide ligands: effect of ligand substituents in olefin insertion/metathesis polymerization

A series of (1-adamantylimido)vanadium(V) complexes containing anionic donor ligands of the type, V(NAd)Cl2(L) Ad = 1-adamantyl; L = O-2,6-Me2C6H3 (2), O-2,6-(i)Pr2C6H3 (3), NC(t)Bu2 (5), NC((t)Bu)CH2SiMe3 (6), NC((t)Bu)Ph (7), NCPh2 (8)], have been prepared from V(NAd)Cl 3, which was in turn prepared from VOCl3 by treatment with 1-adamantylisocyanate in octane, by treatment with the corresponding lithium salts (lithium phenoxides, lithium ketimides) in Et2O. These complexes (2, 3, 5-8) were identified by NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis, and the structures for 2 and 5 were determined by X-ray crystallography. The reaction of V(NAd)Cl3 with 2,6-dimethylphenol in n-hexane afforded the tris(aryloxo) analogue V(NAd)(O-2,6-Me2C6H3)3 (4), the structure of which was determined by X-ray crystallography. 8 gradually decomposed in toluene to give a dimeric species, N(Ad)H3](+)V2(mu2-Cl)3Cl2(NAd)2(NCPh2)2](-) (10), but 8 was stabilized as a PMe 3 coordinated species, V(NAd)Cl2(NCPh2)(PMe3)2 (9): the structures for 9 and 10 were determined by X-ray crystallography. These complexes were evaluated as catalyst precursors for ethylene polymerization in the presence of MAO. The ketimide analogues, especially 5, exhibited moderate catalytic activity, and the activity with a series of V(NAd)Cl2(L)-MAO catalyst systems increased in the order: L = NC(t)Bu2 (5, 516 kg-PE/mol x V x h) > NC((t)Bu)Ph (7, 300) > NCPh2 (8, 105) > NC((t)Bu)CH2SiMe3 (6, 70.8). These complexes (2, 3, 5, 6) were found to be effective as catalyst precursors for the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene (NBE) in the presence of MeMgBr and PMe3.