Selective Transesterification to Control Copolymer Microstructure in the Ring-Opening Copolymerization of Lactide and ε-Caprolactone by Lanthanum Complexes.

A series of novel lanthanum amido complexes, supported by ligands designed around the salan framework (salan = N,N'-bis(o-hydroxy, m-di-tert-butylbenzyl)-1,2-diaminoethane) were synthesized and fully characterized in the solid and solution states. The ligands incorporate benzyl or 2-pyridyl substituents at each tertiary amine center. The complexes were investigated as catalysts in the ring-opening homopolymerization of lactide (LA) and ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and copolymerization of equimolar amounts of LA and ε-CL at ambient temperature. Solvent (THF or toluene) and the number of 2-pyridyl groups in the complex were found to influence the reactivity of the catalysts in copolymerization reactions. In all cases, complete conversion of LA to PLA was observed. The use of THF, a coordinating solvent, suppressed ε-CL polymerization, while the presence of one or more 2-pyridyl groups promoted ε-CL polymerization. Each copolymer gave a monomodal trace in gel permeation chromatography-size-exclusion chromatography (GPC-SEC) experiments, indicative of copolymer formation over homopolymerization. Copolymer microstructure was found to be dependent on catalyst structure and reaction solvent, ranging from blocky to close to alternating. Experiments revealed rapid conversion of LA in the initial stages of the reaction, followed by incorporation of ε-CL into the copolymer by either transesterification or propagation reactions. Significantly, the mode of transesterification (TI or TII) that occurs is determined by the structure of the metal complex and the reaction solvent, leading to the possibility of controlling copolymer microstructure through catalyst design.

Reducing zirconium(IV) phthalocyanines and the structure of a Pc(4-)Zr complex.

The synthesis and characterization of the ring-unsubstituted zirconium phthalocyanine PcZrCl2 (; Pc(x-) = phthalocyaninato(x-)) and its reduction products are described. X-ray analysis of (crystallized from hot 1-chloronaphthalene) reveals that is a chloride-bridged dimer [PcZrCl]2(µ-Cl)2 in the solid-state; was also characterized by UV-vis/MCD spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, which indicated reduction potentials at -0.55, -0.95 and -1.28 V. Although attempts to access these Pc-ring reduced species with KC8 led to mixtures of reduced products due to the insolubility of both starting materials, one equivalent of the reducing agent KEt3BH reacted with to generate Pc(3-)-containing species, as indicated by visible Q-band spectral changes (from λmax = 686 for to 589/611 nm), a single ESR peak (g = 2.001) and paramagnetically shifted (1)H NMR resonances consistent with the presence of a Pc-radical anion. Addition of two equivalents of KEt3BH to generated Pc(4-)-containing species, confirmed by a shift in λmax to 522 nm and upfield-shifted (1)H NMR peaks relative to . Reaction of with one and two equivalents of LiCp* did not generate Cp*-substituted products but also effected reduction to analogous Pc(3-) and Pc(4-) species. This latter material, the air-sensitive ring di-reduced "ate"-complex Pc(4-)Zr(LiCl)1.5(DME)3, of the form [LiCl(DME)4]0.5[Pc(4-)ZrClLi(DME)] was structurally characterized, illustrating partial bond localization in the Pc(4-) ring, which also adopts a saddle-shape vs. the more typical dome-configuration found in . This represents a rare example of an isolated and structurally characterized Pc(4-) complex.

Stereoelectronic control of photophysics: red and yellow axial and equatorial anomers of a rhenium-quinoline complex.

A novel quinoline-substituted pyrimidine ligand forms two different coloured complexes upon reaction with Re(CO)5Br. These compounds display distinct photophysical properties that are dictated by their stereochemistry.

Metallophthalocyanin-ocenes: scandium phthalocyanines with an η(5)-bound Cp ring.

A series of new scandium complexes supported by the phthalocyanine (Pc) ligand have been prepared and structurally characterized. Reaction of ScCl3 with phthalonitrile affords a mixture of PcScCl (1) and unreacted ScCl3, which upon addition of LiCH(SiMe3)2 yields THF-soluble PcSc(µ-Cl2)Li(THF)2 (2). Metathesis with NaCp or LiCp* generates PcSc(η(5)-C5H5) and PcSc(η(5)-C5Me5), respectively, which represent the first examples of η(5)-Cp metal phthalocyanines where the Cp fragment sandwiches the metal centre.

Zirconium catalyzed alkyne dimerization for selective Z-enyne synthesis.

The regioselective head-to-head dimerization of alkynes is catalyzed by a dibenzyl tethered bis(ureate) zirconium precatalyst with aniline as an additive. This system also gives outstanding stereoselectivity to furnish Z-enynes in high yields. A dinuclear reactive intermediate has been characterized, which provides a potential mechanistic rationale for the unexpected regio- and stereoselectivity in this catalytic system.

Mechanistic elucidation of intramolecular aminoalkene hydroamination catalyzed by a tethered bis(ureate) complex: evidence for proton-assisted C-N bond formation at zirconium.

A broad mechanistic investigation regarding hydroamination reactions catalyzed by a tethered bis(ureate) zirconium species, [ureate(2-)]Zr(NMe(2))(2)(HNMe(2)), is described. The cyclization of both primary and secondary aminoalkene substrates gives similar kinetic profiles, with zero-order dependence on substrate concentration up to ∼60-75% conversion, followed by first-order dependence for the remainder of the reaction. The addition of 2-methylpiperidine changes the observed substrate dependence to first order throughout the reaction, but does not act as a competitive inhibitor. The reactions are first order in precatalyst up to loadings of ∼0.15 M, indicating that a well-defined, mononuclear catalytic species is operative. Several model complexes have been structurally characterized, including dimeric imido and amido species, and evaluated for catalytic performance. These results indicate that imido species need not be invoked as catalytically relevant intermediates, and that the mono(amido) complex [ureate(2-)]Zr(NMe(2))(Cl)(HNMe(2)) is much less active than its bis(amido) counterpart. Structural evidence suggests that this is due to differences in coordination geometry between the mono- and bis(amido) complexes, and that an equatorial amido ligand is required for efficient catalytic turnover. On the basis of the determination of kinetic isotope effects and stoichiometric reactivity, the catalytic turnover-limiting step is proposed to be a concerted C-H, C-N bond-forming process with a highly ordered, unimolecular transition state (ΔS(‡) = -21 ± 1 eu). In addition to this key bond-forming step, the catalytic cycle involves an on-cycle pre-equilibrium between six- and seven-coordinate intermediates, leading to the observed switch from zero- to first-order kinetics.

Bis(phosphinic)diamido yttrium amide, alkoxide, and aryloxide complexes: an evaluation of lactide ring-opening polymerization initiator efficiency.

The synthesis and characterization of a series of bis(phosphinic)diamido yttrium alkoxide, amide, and aryloxide initiators are reported. The new complexes are characterized using multinuclear nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and, in some cases, X-ray crystallography. The alkoxide complexes are all dimeric in both the solid state and in solution, as are the amide complexes substituted with iso-propyl or phenyl groups on the phosphorus atoms. On the other hand, increasing the steric hindrance of the phosphorus substituents (tert-butyl), enables isolation of mononuclear yttrium amide complexes with either 2,2-dimethylpropylene or ethylene diamido ligand backbones. The complex of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxide is also mononuclear. All the new complexes are efficient initiators for rac-lactide ring-opening polymerization. The polymerization kinetics are compared and pseudo first order rate constants, k(obs), determined. The polymerization control is also discussed, by monitoring the number-averaged molecular weight, M(n), and polydispersity index, PDI, obtained using gel permeation chromatography (GPC). The alkoxide complexes are the most efficient initiators, showing very high rates and good polymerization control, behavior consistent with rapid rates of initiation. The phenoxide and amide complexes are less efficient as manifest by nonlinear regions in the kinetic plots, lower values for k(obs), and reduced polymerization control. One of the mononuclear yttrium amide complexes shows heteroselectivity in the polymerization of rac-lactide; however, this effect is reduced on changing the initiating group to phenoxide or on changing the ancillary ligand diamido backbone group.

First neodymium(III) alkyl-carbene complex based on bis(iminophosphoranyl) ligands.

Serendipitous deprotonation of bis(iminophosphoranyl)methanide Nd(III) complexes afforded the first alkyl-carbene neodymium complex. Due to the presence of structurally similar methanide and methandiide fragments, this complex features, as evidenced by X-ray crystallographic analysis, Nd-C single and multiple bonds.

Stereocontrolled lactide polymerisation determined by the nuclearity of the yttrium initiator.

Two very rapid yttrium initiators for lactide polymerisation are reported; the nuclearity (monomer vs. dimer) of the initiator controls the stereochemistry of the polylactide produced.

A series of bis(phosphinic)diamido yttrium complexes as initiators for lactide polymerization.

A series of new bis(phosphinic)diamido yttrium complexes have been synthesized and fully characterized. The complexes adopt dimeric structures, both in solution and in the solid state, where one phosphinic group bonds to one yttrium center and the other bonds to two yttrium centers. The complexes have all been tested as initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of lactide; they are all highly active. The rate of polymerization is controlled by the diamine backbone substituent with the rate depending on the backbone flexibility. The order of decreasing rates were 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propylene > trans-1,2-cyclohexylene > 1,2-ethylene >> 1,2-phenylene. The polymerization kinetics showed, in most cases, an initiation period, during which the percentage conversion and the rate of polymerization were much lower than during propagation. This was attributed to relatively slow initiation by the bulky amido group. The initiator structure was probed using (31)P{ (1)H} NMR spectroscopy, which showed that the dimeric structure was maintained throughout the polymerization. The initiators give rise to controlled ring-opening polymerization as shown by the linear relationship between the percentage conversion and the number-average molecular weight.