Bimetallic aluminum complexes supported by bis(salicylaldimine) ligand: Synthesis,characterization and ring-opening polymerization of lactide

Two types of bifunctional bis(salicylaldimine) ligands (syn-L and anti-L) were designed and synthesized to support bimetallic aluminum complexes.Owing to the rigid anthracene skeleton,syn-L and anti-L successfully locked two Al centers in close proximity (syn-Al2) and far apart (anti-Al2),respectively.The distance between two Al centers in syn-Al2 was defined by X-ray diffraction as 6.665 (A),which is far shorter than that in anti-Al2.In the presence of stoichiometrical BnOH,syn-Al2 and anti-Al2 were both efficient for ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of rac-LA with the former being more active.In the presence of excess BnOH,syn-Al2 showed an efficient and immortal feature,consistent with high conversions,matched Mns,narrow molecular weight distributions and end group fidelity,while anti-Al2 had a much lower activity or even became entirely inactive due to rapid decomposition,indicated by in situ 1H-NMR experiments of A1 complexes with BnOH.