Group IV complexes containing the benzotriazole phenoxide ligand as catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of lactides, epoxides and as precatalysts for the polymerization of ethylene

Dalton Trans. 2013 Dec 14;42(46):16412-27. doi: 10.1039/c3dt52065j.

Abstract

A series of Ti(IV), Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) benzotriazole phenoxide (BTP) complexes were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. The monosubstituted Zr(IV) BTP complexes [(μ-L)Zr(O(i)Pr)3]2 1-3 [L = (C1)BTP-H (1), (TCl)BTP-H (2), (pent)BTP-H (3)] and tetrasubstituted Zr(IV), Hf(IV) complexes ZrL4 4-6 [L = (C1)BTP-H (4), (TCl)BTP-H (5), (pent)BTP-H (6)] and HfL4 7-9 [L = (C1)BTP-H (7), (TCl)BTP-H (8), (pent)BTP-H (9)] were prepared by the reaction of Zr(O(i)Pr)4·((i)PrOH) and Hf(O(t)Bu)4 in toluene with the respective ligands in different stoichiometric proportions. The reaction between BTP and TiCl4 and ZrCl4 and HfCl4 in a 2 : 1 stoichiometric reaction resulted in the formation of disubstituted group IV chloride complexes L2MCl2 10-12 [L = (C1)BTP-H, M = Ti, Zr and Hf]. The molecular structures of complexes 1, 4, 7, 10, 11, and 12 were determined by single-crystal X-ray studies. The X-ray structure of 1 reveals a dimeric Zr(IV) complex containing a Zr2O2 core bridged through the oxygen atoms of the phenoxide groups. Each Zr atom is distorted from an octahedral symmetry. These complexes were found to be active towards the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide (L-LA) and rac-lactide (rac-LA). Complex 1 produced highly heterotactic poly(lactic acid) (PLA) from rac-LA under melt conditions with narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) and well controlled number average molecular weights (M(n)). Additionally, epoxide polymerizations using rac-cyclohexene oxide (CHO), rac-propylene oxide (PO), and rac-styrene oxide (SO) were also carried out with these complexes. The yield and molecular weight of the polymer was found to increase with the extension of reaction time. Compounds 1-12 were activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO) and show good activity for ethylene polymerization and produced high molecular weight polyethylene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Catalysis
  • Coordination Complexes / chemical synthesis
  • Coordination Complexes / chemistry*
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Dioxanes / chemistry*
  • Epoxy Compounds / chemistry*
  • Ethylenes / chemistry*
  • Ligands
  • Magnetics
  • Metals / chemistry
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Phosphorous Acids / chemistry
  • Polymerization
  • Triazoles / chemistry*

Substances

  • Coordination Complexes
  • Dioxanes
  • Epoxy Compounds
  • Ethylenes
  • Ligands
  • Metals
  • Phosphorous Acids
  • Triazoles
  • phosphonic acid
  • benzotriazole
  • ethylene
  • dilactide