Pincer chromium(II) and chromium(III) complexes supported by bis(imino)aryl ncn ligands: Synthesis and catalysis on isoprene polymerization

Zhizhou Liu, Wei Gao, Xiaoming Liu, Xuyang Luo, Dongmei Cui, Ying Mu

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36 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Reactions of 2,6-(ArN-CH)2C6H3Li with CrCl2(THF)2 afford two trinuclear bis(imino)aryl NCN pincer Cr(II) complexes {[2,6-(ArN-CH)2C6H 3]Cr(μ-Cl)2}2Cr [Ar = 2,6-Me 2C6H3 (1a), 2,6-Et2C 6H3 (1b)], and a mononuclear bis(imino)aryl NCN pincer Cr(II) complex [2,6-(ArN-CH)2C6H3]Cr(μ-Cl) 2Li(THF)2 [Ar = 2,6-iPr2C 6H3 (1c)], respectively. Similar reactions of 2,6-(ArN-CH)2C6H3Li with CrCl 3(THF)3 produce only mononuclear bis(imino)aryl NCN pincer Cr(III) complexes [2,6-(ArN-CH)2C6H3]CrCl 2(THF) [Ar = 2,6-Me2C6H3 (2a), 2,6-Et2C6H3 (2b), 2,6-iPr 2C6H3 (2c)]. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that the terminal Cr(II) atoms in 1a and 1b and the Cr(II) atom in 1c possess a distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination environment with the Cipso atom of the pincer ligand and two chloride atoms in the equator and the two imine nitrogen atoms in the apical positions, while the Cr(III) complexes 2a, 2b, and 2c all adopt a distorted octahedral geometry around the chromium metal. Upon activation with trialkylaluminum and [Ph3C] +[B(C6F5)4]-, the Cr(III) complexes show high catalytic activity for isoprene polymerization and afford polyisoprene with predominately trans-1,4 units, whereas the Cr(II) complexes are inert under the same conditions.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)752-759
Number of pages8
JournalOrganometallics
Volume30
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 28 Feb 2011
Externally publishedYes

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