A kinetic study of the ring-opening process in tungsten carbonyl complexes containing hemilabile metallodithiolate ligands.

The synthesis of the metallodithiolate derivative of tungsten pentacarbonyl from the reaction of photogenerated W(CO)(5)THF and Ni-1 ((1,5-bis(2-mercapto-2-methylpropane)-1,5-diazacyclooctanato)nickel(II)) is described, along with its crystal structure. In N,N-dimethylformamide solution, the pentacarbonyl exists in equilibrium with its tetracarbonyl analogue and carbon monoxide. The pentacarbonyl complex stereoselectively loses cis carbonyl ligands, as is apparent from (13)CO-labeling studies, where the thus-formed tetracarbonyl tungsten complex resulting from chelate ring-closure is preferentially (13)CO-labeled among the two mutually trans CO groups. The kinetics of the addition of CO to the tetracarbonyl to afford the metal pentacarbonyl were monitored by means of in situ infrared spectroscopy in the nu(CO) region at CO pressures between 28 and 97 bar and temperatures over the range 45-60 degrees C. Under these conditions, there was no evidence for W-S bond cleavage in the pentacarbonyl complex with concomitant formation of W(CO)(6). These studies reveal that the tetracarbonyl complex and CO are only slightly unstable with respect to the formation of the pentacarbonyl complex, with an equilibrium constant at 50 degrees C of about 2.8 M(-1) or DeltaG degrees = -1.4 kJ/mol. The activation parameters determined for the ring-opening process (DeltaH = 89.1 kJ/mol and DeltaS = -37.2 J/mol.K) suggest a solvent-assisted concerted ring-opening mechanism.

Effective, selective coupling of propylene oxide and carbon dioxide to poly(propylene carbonate) using (salen)CrN3 catalysts.

The copolymerization of propylene oxide and CO2 has been investigated employing Cr(salen)N3 complexes as catalysts. Unfortunately the reaction could not be studied in real time via in situ IR spectroscopy, thereby obtaining detailed kinetic data, because of the copolymer limited solubility in most solvents. Investigations employing batch reactor runs concentrating on varying the cocatalyst, the equivalents of cocatalyst, and the steric and electronic structure of the catalyst through modification of the salen ligand were undertaken. It was discovered that the optimal catalyst for copolymer selectivity vs the monomeric propylene carbonate was one that contained a salen ligand with an electron-withdrawing phenylene backbone and electron-donating tert-butyl groups in the phenolate rings. This catalyst was used to investigate the effect of altering the nature of the cocatalyst and its concentration, the three cocatalysts being tricyclohexylphosphine (PCy3), PPN+ N3(-), and PPN+ Cl-, where PPN+ is the large very weakly interacting bis(triphenylphosphoramylidene)ammonium cation. By utilization of more or less than 1 equiv of PCy3 as cocatalyst, the yield of polymer was reduced. On the other hand, the PPN+ salts showed the best activity when 0.5 equiv was employed, and produced only cyclic when using over 1 equiv.

Copolymerization of CO2 and epoxides catalyzed by metal salen complexes.

The design of efficient metal catalysts for the selective coupling of epoxides and carbon dioxide to afford completely alternating copolymers has made significant gains over the past decade. Hence, it is becoming increasingly clear that this "greener" route to polycarbonates has the potential to supplement or supplant current processes for the production of these important thermoplastics, which involve the condensation polymerization of diols and phosgene or organic carbonates. On the basis of the experiences in our laboratory, this Account summarizes our efforts at optimizing (salen)CrIIIX catalysts for the selective formation of polycarbonates from alicyclic and aliphatic epoxides with CO2. An iterative catalyst design process is employed in which the salen ligand, initiator, cocatalyst, and reaction conditions are systematically varied, with the reaction rates and product selectivity being monitored by in situ infrared spectroscopy.

Mechanistic studies of the copolymerization reaction of aziridines and carbon monoxide to produce poly-beta-peptoids.

The coupling of carbon monoxide and aziridines has been shown to be selective for comonomer-alternating enchainment in the presence of PhCH2C(O)Co(CO)4 to afford poly-beta-peptoids. In this article, we have investigated the mechanistic aspects of the reaction of CO and N-butylaziridine by means of in situ infrared spectroscopy employing CH3C(O)Co(CO)3L (L = PPh3 (1) and P(o-tolyl)3 (2)) as precatalysts. Precatalyst 1 exists in solution under catalytic conditions as an equilibrium mixture of 1 and CH3C(O)Co(CO)4, and affords both poly-beta-butylalanoid and the corresponding lactam. By way of contrast, precatalyst 2 which possesses the sterically bulky and labile P(o-tolyl)3 ligand, affords only the acyl cobalt tetracarbonyl species in solution during catalysis with concomitant selective production of the copolymer. Kinetic studies conducted with precatalyst 2 showed the coupling reaction to have a first order dependence on catalyst, a first order dependence on N-butylaziridine, and only a slight dependence on the concentration of CO over the pressure range 17-69 bar. The working mechanistic model for the copolymerization reaction involves first aziridine insertion into the cobalt-acyl bond, rate determining ring opening by the cobaltate species, followed by the migratory CO insertion.

(Salen)CrIIIX catalysts for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides: role of the initiator and cocatalyst.

The copolymerization of CO(2) and cyclohexene or propylene oxide has been examined employing (salen)Cr(III)Nu complexes (Nu = Cl or N(3)) as catalysts. The addition of various cocatalysts, including phosphines and PPN+ or Bu4N+ Cl- salts serves to greatly enhance the rate of copolymer production. In these instances, the mechanism of the initiation step appears to be unimolecular in catalyst concentration, unlike the bimolecular process cocatalyzed by N-methylimidazole. The copolymers were produced with >95% carbonate linkages with TOFs in the range 39-494 mol epoxide consumed/mol Cr.h. In the presence of phosphine cocatalysts, no cyclic carbonate was produced as a byproduct.

Synthesis and structural characterization of double metal cyanides of iron and zinc: catalyst precursors for the copolymerization of carbon dioxide and epoxides.

Several synthetic approaches for the preparation of double metal cyanide (DMC) derivatives of iron(II) and zinc(II) are described. These include (1) metathesis reactions of ZnCl(2) or ZnI(2) with KCpFe(CN)(2)CO in aqueous solution, (2) reactions of KCpFe(CN)(2)CO and its phosphine-substituted analogues with Zn(CH(3)CN)(4)(BF(4))(2) and subsequent displacement of acetonitrile at the zinc centers by the addition of a neutral (phosphine) or anionic (phenoxide) ligand, and (3) reactions of the protonated HCpFe(CN)(2)(phosphine) complexes with Zn(N(SiMe(3))(2))(2), followed by the addition of phenols. All structures are based on a diamond-shaped planar arrangement of the Fe(2)(CN)(4)Zn(2) core with various appended ligands at the metal sites. Although attempts to replace the iodide ligands in [CpFe(mu-CN)(2)PPh(3)ZnI(THF)](2) with acetate using silver acetate failed, two novel cationic mixed-metal cyanide salts based on the [CpFe(PPh(3))(mu-CN)(2)Zn(NC(5)H(5))](2)(2+) framework were isolated from pyridine solution and their structures were defined by X-ray crystallography. The anionic ligand bound to zinc in these derivatives, which serve as an anionic polymerization initiator, was shown to be central to the catalytic copolymerization reaction of CO(2)/epoxide to provide polycarbonates and cyclic carbonates. The structurally stabilized phosphine-strapped complexes [CpFe(mu-CN)(2)Zn(X)THF](2)(mu-dppp), where X = I or phenolate, were shown to be thermally stable under the conditions (80 degrees C) of the copolymerization reaction by in situ infrared spectroscopy. Both of these derivatives were proposed to serve as mimics for the heterogeneous DMC catalysts in the patent literature, with the derivative where the initiator is a phenolate being more active for the production of polycarbonates.

A stable monomeric nickel borohydride.

A stable discrete nickel borohydride complex (Tp*NiBH(4) or Tp*NiBD(4)) was prepared using the nitrogen-donor ligand hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate (Tp*-). This complex represents one of the best characterized nickel(II) borohydrides to date. Tp*NiBH(4) and Tp*NiBD(4) are stable toward air, boiling water, and high temperatures (mp > 230 degrees C dec). X-ray crystallographic measurements for Tp*NiBH(4) showed a six-coordinate geometry for the complex, with the nickel(II) center facially coordinated by three bridging hydrogen atoms from borohydride and a tridentate Tp(-) ligand. For Tp*NiBH(4), the empirical formula is C(15)H(26)B(2)N(6)Ni, a = 13.469(9) A, b = 7.740(1) A, c = 18.851(2) A, beta = 107.605(9) degrees, the space group is monoclinic P2(1)/c, and Z = 4. Infrared measurements confirmed the presence of bridging hydrogen atoms; both nu(B[bond]H)(terminal) and nu(B[bond]H)(bridging) are assignable and shifted relative to nu(B-D) of Tp*NiBD(4) by amounts in agreement with theory. Despite their hydrolytic stability, Tp*NiBH(4) and Tp*NiBD(4) readily reduce halocarbon substrates, leading to the complete series of Tp*NiX complexes (X = Cl, Br, I). These reactions showed a pronounced hydrogen/deuterium rate dependence (k(H)/k(D) approximately 3) and sharp isosbestic points in progressive electronic spectra. Nickel K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements of a hydride-rich nickel center were obtained for Tp*NiBH(4), Tp*NiBD(4), and Tp*NiCl. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy results confirmed the similar six-coordinate geometries for Tp*NiBH(4) and Tp*NiBD(4). These contrasted with XAS results for the crystallographically characterized pseudotetrahedral Tp*NiCl complex. The stability of Tp*Ni-coordinated borohydride is significant given this ion's accelerated decomposition and hydrolysis in the presence of transition metals and simple metal salts.