Double Tethered Metallacyclobutane Catalyst for Cyclic Polymer Synthesis.

This work outlines an approach to creating a catalyst for cyclic polymer synthesis using readily available materials in only one or two steps. Combining commercially available molybdenum-alkylidene 1 with two equivalents of ene-ol proligand 2 rapidly produces, in quantitative yield (1H NMR spectroscopy), the double tethered metallacyclobutane complex 3. Characterized by variable temperature NMR studies and nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) experiments, complex 3 exhibits fluxional behavior in solution. Determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction, the solid-state structure of complex 3 reveals metrical parameters indicating that the metallacyclobutane is not predicted to undergo rapid retro-cycloaddition. However, complex 3 is a precatalyst for the polymerization of norbornene to produce cyclic polynorbornene. An NMR spectrum of a test polymerization indicates that only a small fraction of the precatalyst is activated upon exposure to monomer. Quantifying the active catalyst is possible by measuring vinyl resonances that appear in the 1H NMR spectrum. The vinyl resonances are attributable to the release of one of the tethers upon norbornene addition. Confirmation of the polymer cyclic topology comes from gel permeation chromatography (GPC), dynamic light scattering (DLS), and intrinsic viscosity (η) measurements. The double tethered metallacyclobutane complex is a novel design for catalytic cyclic polymer synthesis. The synthetic approach suggests that catalyst tuning is possible by a choice of the commercial alkylidene and alteration of the ene-ol proligand.

Ammonia Synthesis through Hydrolysis of a Trianionic Pincer Ligand-Supported Molybdenum-Nitride Complex.

Reported is the hydrolysis of a homogeneous Mo-nitride complex bearing a trianionic pincer-type ligand to produce ammonia. Treating the anionic [(ONO)]Mo≡N(OtBu)]Ph3 PCH3 with two equivalents of water produces ammonia and the dioxo complex [(ONO)]MoO2 ]Ph3 PCH3 . X-Ray crystal structures of the starting nitrido complex and product dioxo complex are presented. Evidence for ammonia release comes from GC-MS and deuterium-labelling studies. The reaction is presented in the context of a two-stage solar thermochemical dinitrogen fixation process as the solid-state nitride hydrolysis step.

Hg(ii) and Pd(ii) complexes with a new selenoether bridged biscarbene ligand: efficient mono- and bis-arylation of methyl acrylate with a pincer biscarbene Pd(ii) precatalyst.

Two equivalents of 1-benzyl-3-bromoethylbenzimidazolium bromide couple with Na2Se to produce the first selenoether bridged bis-benzimidazolium salt (LH2)Br2. The nitrate (LH2)(NO3)2 and tetrafluoroborate (LH2)(BF4)2 salts were also synthesized from (LH2)Br2. The reaction of Hg(OAc)2 with (LH2)Br2 gave the first pseudo pincer carbene mercury complex, [Hg(L-κ2C)][HgBr4] (C1). Different complexes of Pd(ii) with selenoether bridged carbene were obtained using (LH2)Br2 and (LH2)(NO3)2. Syntheses of these complexes were dependent on the counter anion and the temperature. Thus, the pincer type ionic complex [PdBr(L-κ3CSeC)]Br (C2) was isolated at 80 °C and the pseudo pincer type neutral complex cis-[PdBr2(L-κ2C)] (C3) was isolated at room temperature from (LH2)Br2 and Pd(OAc)2 in DMSO. The nitrate precursor (LH2)(NO3)2 on palladation with Pd(OAc)2 afforded [Pd(L-κ4CBzCSeC)]NO3 (C4) showing an unprecedented intramolecular metallation at the ortho position of the benzyl wingtip of the benzimidazole moiety. The ligand salts and metal complexes have been characterized using HRMS, heteronuclear NMR and IR spectroscopy. Single crystal X-ray structures of the ligand salts (LH2)Br2 and (LH2)(BF4)2 and complexes C1-C4 have also been elucidated. Complex C2 showed good activity for C-C coupling in the mono-Heck reaction of methyl acrylate and arylbromides. Interestingly, the less common bis-arylation was also observed with deactivated arylbromides as the result of double-Heck coupling.