Thio-Pybox and Thio-Phebox complexes of chromium, iron, cobalt and nickel and their application in ethylene and butadiene polymerisation catalysis.

A series of bis(thiazolinyl)- and bis(thiazolyl)pyridine Thio-Pybox ligands and their metal complexes of chromium(III), iron(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II) has been prepared, as well as a nickel(II) complex containing a monoanionic bis(thiazolinyl)phenyl Thio-Phebox ligand. These new metal complexes have been characterised and used as catalysts, in combination with the co-catalyst MAO, for the polymerisation of ethylene and for the polymerisation of butadiene. In the case of ethylene polymerisation, the Thio-Pybox and Thio-Phebox metal complexes have shown relatively low polymerisation activities, much lower compared to the related bis(imino)pyridine complexes of the same metals.

Effects of the [OC6F5] moiety upon structural geometry: crystal structures of half-sandwich tantalum(V) aryloxide complexes from reaction of Cp*Ta(N(t)Bu)(CH2R)2 with pentafluorophenol.

The synthesis, chemical and structural characterization of a series of pentamethylcyclopentadienyl (Cp*) tantalum imido complexes and aryloxide derivatives are presented. Specifically, the imido complexes Cp*Ta(N(t)Bu)(CH(2)R)(2), where R = Ph [dibenzyl(tert-butylamido) (η(5)-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)tantalum(IV) (1)], Me(2)Ph [tert-butylamido)bis(2-methyl-2-phenylpropyl) (η(5)-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)tantalum(IV) (2)], CMe(3) [(tert-butylamido)bis(2,2-dimethylpropyl) (η(5)-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)tantalum(IV) (3)], are reported. The crystal structure of (3) reveals α-agostic interactions with the Ta atom.

Bis(μ-2-tert-butyl-phenyl-imido-1:2κN:N)chlorido-2κCl-(diethyl ether-1κO)(2η-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dien-yl)lithiumtantalum(V).

In the title compound, [LiTa(C(10)H(15))(C(10)H(13)N)(2)Cl(C(4)H(10)O)], the Ta(V) atom is coordinated by a η(5)-penta-methyl-cyclo-penta-dienyl (Cp*) ligand, a chloride ion and two N-bonded 2-tert-butyl-phenyl-imide dianions. With respect to the two N atoms, the chloride ion and the centroid of the Cp* ring, the tantalum coordination geometry is approximately tetra-hedral. The lithium cation is bonded to both the 2-tert-butyl-phenyl-imide dianions and also a diethyl ether mol-ecule, in an approximate trigonal planar arrangement.

The effect of the central donor in bis(benzimidazole)-based cobalt catalysts for the selective cis-1,4-polymerisation of butadiene.

A series of bis(benzimidazole)-based cobalt(II) dichloride complexes containing a range of different central donors has been synthesized and characterized. The nature of the central donor affects the binding of the ligand to the cobalt centre and determines the coordination geometry of the metal complexes. All complexes have been shown to catalyse the polymerization of butadiene, in combination with MAO as the co-catalyst, to give cis-1,4-polybutadiene with high selectivity.

Coordination chemistry with phosphine and phosphine oxide-substituted hydroxyferrocenes.

New unsymmetrical hydroxyferrocenes were synthesised from dibromoferrocene. The oxygen heteroatom was introduced via lithiation and quenching with bis-trimethylsilylperoxide followed by hydrolysis to unmask the hydroxyl functionality. The coordination chemistry of 1'-(diphenylphosphino)-1-hydroxyferrocene 2 was explored with palladium and rhodium precursors.

Bidentate salicylaldiminato tin(II) complexes and their use as lactide polymerisation initiators.

A study of the reactions of several salicylaldimines (ortho-iminophenols) with Sn(NMe2)2 reveals that the sterics and electronics of the N-substituent play a principal role in determining the product mixture. Thus mono(chelate) tin(II) amides have only been isolated with bulky N-anilido substituents, including [2,4-X2-6-{CHN-2,6-iPr2C6H3}-C6H2O]Sn(-NMe2)]2, X = Cl, 1; X = I, 2 and [2,4-Cl2-6-{CHN-2,4,6-tBu3C6H2}-C6H2O]Sn(NMe2), 3. With smaller N-aryl and N-alkyl substituted salicylaldimines, mixtures of mono- and bis- chelate complexes are formed, even if the phenoxide ring bears large tert-butyl substituents.

Electronic effects in oxo transfer reactions catalysed by salan molybdenum(VI) cis-dioxo complexes.

A series of molybdenum(vi) cis-dioxo complexes containing tetradentate salan ligands with different para-substitutions on the phenoxy group have been prepared. These complexes catalyse the oxygen atom transfer reaction between dimethylsulfoxide and triphenylphosphine. During oxo transfer catalysis, the complexes are resistant to formation of catalytically inactive oxo-bridged dimeric Mo(v) complexes.

The reversible amination of tin(II)-ligated imines: latent initiators for the polymerization of rac-lactide.

The 1:1 reactions of nine potentially tridentate salicylaldimines with tin(II) diamides, Sn(NR2)2 (R = Me, Et, iPr, SiMe3) have been investigated. With Sn(NiPr2)2 and Sn(NTMS2)2, the anticipated products of amine elimination, iminophenoxy tin(II) mono(amide)s, are formed. However, for R = Me and R = Et, nucleophilic attack of the amide at the imino carbon occurs to generate tin(II) complexes of tetradentate, dianionic aminoamidophenoxide ligands.

Mono- versus bis-chelate formation in triazenide and amidinate complexes of magnesium and zinc.

Magnesium and zinc complexes of the monoanionic ligands N,N'-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)triazenide, L1, N,N'-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)acetamidinate, L2, and N,N'-bis(2,6-di-isopropylphenyl)tert-butylamidinate, L3, have been synthesized, but only L3 possesses sufficient steric bulk to prevent bis-chelation. Hence, the reaction of L1H with excess ZnEt2 leads to the isolation of (L1)2Zn, 1; L1H also reacts with Bu2Mg in Et2O to afford (L1)2Mg(Et2O), 2. Similar reactivity is observed for L2H, leading to the formation of (L2)2Zn, 3, and (L2)2Mg, 4.

Tert-butylamidinate tin(ii) complexes: high activity, single-site initiators for the controlled production of polylactide.

The tin(ii) coordination chemistry of two monoanionic N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)alkylamidinate ligands is described. Complexation studies with the acetamidinate, [MeC(NAr)(2)](-), (Ar = 2,6-(i)Pr(2)C(6)H(3)) are complicated by the side formation of the bis(amidinate) tin(ii) compound, [MeC(NAr)(2)](2)Sn. By contrast, the bulkier tert-butylamidinate, [(t)BuC(NAr)(2)](-), allows tin(ii) mono-halide, -alkoxide and -amide complexes to be isolated cleanly in high yields.

Correlation of metal spin-state in alpha-diimine iron catalysts with polymerization mechanism.

The alpha-diimine iron complexes, (R',R'')[N,N]FeCl(2) ((R',R'')[N,N] = R'-N=CR' '-CR' '=N-R', where R' = tert-butyl (tBu), cyclohexyl (Cy) and R' ' = phenyl (Ph), para-fluorophenyl (F-Ph), para-bromophenyl (Br-Ph), para-methylphenyl (Me-Ph), or para-methoxyphenyl (MeO-Ph)), are found to polymerize styrene through a catalytic chain transfer (CCT) mechanism. Magnetic moment measurements indicate that Fe(III) complexes containing these ligands possess intermediate (S = 3/2) spin-state iron centers. In contrast, Fe(III) complexes bearing proton (R' ' = H) and para-dimethylaminophenyl (R' ' = NMe(2)-Ph) substituents are high-spin and are efficient atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) catalysts.

New coordination modes at molybdenum for 2-diphenylphosphinoaniline derived ligands.

The complexes [MoCl3(1-N,2-Ph2P-C6H4)2] (1) and {MoCl(Nt-Bu)[1-micro(N),2-(Ph2P)C6H4]}2 (2) have been obtained from the reaction of 2-diphenylphosphinoaniline [1,2(NH2)(Ph2P)C6H4] with either sodium molybdate [Na2MoO4] (in the presence of Et3N and Me3SiCl) or [MoCl2(Nt-Bu)2(DME)]; the crystal structure of 1 reveals a novel MoNC2PN six-membered conjugated ring system derived from a P-N coupling reaction between two ligands, whilst that of 2 reveals bridging imido/terminal phosphine ligation.

Synthesis and structures of bimetallic and polymeric zinc coordination compounds supported by salicylaldiminato and anilido-aldimine ligands.

A series of bimetallic zinc complexes bearing salicylaldiminato (1b-3b) or anilido-aldimine (4c-5c) ligand frameworks, in which the metal centres are separated by aliphatic spacer groups containing 3-6 methylene units, were targeted. X-Ray analysis of salicylaldiminato derivative 2b, with a 4 carbon spacer group, revealed a coordination polymer in the solid state where each zinc centre is ligated by two salicylaldiminato ligands. Contrastingly, the structure of the anilido-aldimine complex 4c, with a 3 carbon methylene spacer group, was found to be a discrete bimetallic complex.

Group 4 catalysts for ethene polymerization containing tetradentate salicylaldiminato ligands.

The structural properties of three new classes of titanium and zirconium complex bearing tetradentate salicylaldiminato proligands are elucidated using X-ray diffraction and NMR spectroscopy. On activation with MAO co-catalyst, their behaviour in ethene polymerization depends strongly on the nature of the structure and the substitution pattern. One titanium complex based on a 2-aminobenzylamine (C3-chain) backbone has a trans arrangement of the co-ligand sites and, unsurprisingly, does not polymerize ethene.

Coordination complexes bearing potentially tetradentate phenoxyamine ligands.

A series of metal complexes containing potentially tetradentate phenoxyamine ligands is described. The ligands are found to bind to main-group metals and first-row transition-metal centres with variable denticity depending upon the requirements of the particular metal centre. Bidentate [Al(III)], tridentate [Mg(II), Ca(II), Zn(II)] and tetradentate [K(I), Cr(III), Fe(II), Co(II)] binding modes have been established unambiguously through single-crystal X-ray structure determinations.

Study of ligand substituent effects on the rate and stereoselectivity of lactide polymerization using aluminum salen-type initiators.

A series of aluminum salen-type complexes [where salen is N,N'-bis(salicylaldimine)-1,2-ethylenediamine] bearing ligands that differ in their steric and electronic properties have been synthesized and investigated for the polymerization of rac-lactide. X-ray crystal structures on key precatalysts reveal metal coordination geometries intermediate between trigonal bipyramidal and square-based pyramidal. Both the phenoxy substituents and the backbone linker have a significant influence over the polymerization.

Synthetic, structural, mechanistic, and computational studies on single-site beta-diketiminate tin(II) initiators for the polymerization of rac-lactide.

A family of tin(II) complexes supported by beta-diketiminate ligands has been investigated as initiators for the polymerization of rac-lactide. Kinetic studies reveal a first-order dependence on [lactide], but with a significant induction period. Linear plots of M(n) versus conversion and [M](o)/[I](o) versus conversion, along with narrow molecular weight distributions (typically 1.

New S/O-substituted ferrocenediyl ligands and their metal complexes.

New unsymmetrical S/O 1,1'-disubstituted ferrocenediyl ethers and hydroxides have been synthesised. The coordination chemistry of 1-(methylsulfanyl)-1'-(methoxy)ferrocene has been investigated with palladium(II) and platinum(II) precursors. With palladium(II), a bis-mu-chloro-bridged dimeric complex was obtained with the ligand bound solely through the thioether donor group.

Titanium-salen complexes as initiators for the ring opening polymerisation of rac-lactide.

A family of bis(iso-propoxide) titanium(IV) complexes supported by tetradentate Schiff base (salen) ligands has been synthesised and characterised, including a structural determination of N,N'-bis(6'-methylenimino-2',4'-di-tert-butylphenoxy)cyclohexyl-(1R,2R)-diamino titanium(IV) bis(iso-propoxide). Their suitability for initiating the ring-opening polymerisation of rac-lactide has been investigated. Polymerisation activities are shown to correlate with the electronic properties of the substituents within the salen ligand.

An unprecedented alpha-olefin distribution arising from a homogeneous ethylene oligomerization catalyst.

Treatment of the bis(benzimidazolyl)amine chromium complex 2 with ethylene in the presence of MAO affords an exceptionally active oligomerization catalyst and an unprecedented distribution of 1-olefin products in which the C4n series is much more abundant than the C4n+2 series. Deuterium labeling studies are consistent with a metallacyclic chain growth mechanism in which the unusual product distribution arises from the interplay of two sites.

Redox control within single-site polymerization catalysts.

The activity of a single-site titanium-based lactide polymerization initiator supported by a ferrocenyl-derivatized salen ligand is shown to be modulated by a chemical redox switch; a substantially higher rate of propagation is found for the neutral catalyst compared to its oxidized dicationic ferrocenium counterpart.

Highly active titanium-based olefin polymerization catalysts supported by bidentate phenoxyamide ligands.

Phenoxyamide complexes of Ti-containing 2,6-X2C6H3 (X = Cl, Br) substituents, when activated by methyl aluminoxane, afford catalysts with very high activities for the polymerization of ethylene and with good incorporation of 1-hexene.