Development of Improved Amidoquinoline Polyolefin Catalysts with Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Capacity

Development of Group IV Metal Complexes Bearing Thioether-Amido Ligands with Enhanced High-Temperature Catalytic Performance toward Olefin Copolymerization

The development of homogeneous metal catalysts with both high activity and exceptional thermal stability is crucial for the efficient synthesis of polyolefin elastomers (POEs) through solution-phase olefin polymerization. In this study, a series of Hf (Hf1-Hf5), Zr (Zr1), and Ti (Ti1) complexes featuring thioether-amido ligands were synthesized and carefully characterized using advanced techniques such as 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis for Hf4 and Hf5. The results revealed that the catalytic activity and 1-octene incorporation efficiency of these metal complexes followed the trend Hf > Zr > Ti, underscoring the significant impact of the metal center on catalytic performance. Furthermore, the choice of ligands was found to play a critical role in dictating the catalytic properties, with ligands bearing less steric hindrance on the sulfur atom proving to be more favorable for copolymerization reactions. Notably, the Hf complex Hf1, featuring a methyl group on the sulfur atom, displayed exceptional catalytic activity as high as 21,060 kg(polymer)·mol-1(Hf)·h-1 toward ethylene/1-octene copolymerization at 120 °C and produced POE with a high molecular weight (Mw = 6.3 × 104 g·mol-1), relatively narrow distribution (Đ = 2.4), and high incorporation of 1-octene (34.1 mol %). This study demonstrates the potential of tailored ligand design in developing efficient metal catalysts for the production of high-value-added POEs.

Thermal-Robust Phenoxyimine Titanium Catalysts Bearing Bulky Sidearms for High Temperature Ethylene Homo-/Co- Polymerizations

A family of titanium complexes (Ti1-Ti7) with the general formula LTiCl3, supported by tridentate phenoxyimine [O-NO] ligands (L1-L7) bearing bulky sidearms, were synthesized by treating the corresponding ligands with stoichiometric amount of TiCl4. All the ligands and complexes were well characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopies, in which ortho- methoxyl groups on N-aryl moieties shifted to downfield, corroborating the successful coordination reaction. Structural optimization by DFT calculations revealed that one of the phenyl groups on dibenzhydryl moiety could form π-π stacking interaction with the salicylaldimine plane, because of which the obtained titanium complexes revealed good thermal stabilities for high-temperature polymerization of ethylene. The thermal robustness of the complexes was closely related to the strength of π-π stacking interactions, which were mainly influenced by the substituents on the dibenzhydryl moieties; Ti1, Ti4 and Ti5 emerged as the three best-performing complexes at 110 °C. With the aid of such π-π stacking interactions, the complexes were also found to be active at >150 °C, although decreased activities were witnessed. Besides homopolymerizations, complexes Ti1-Ti7 were also found to be active for the high-temperature copolymerization of ethylene and 1-octene, but with medium incorporation percentage, demonstrating their medium copolymerization capabilities.

Homogeneous Non-Metallocene Group 4 Metals Ligated with [N,N] Bidentate Ligand(s) for Olefin Polymerization

The development of catalysts has significantly advanced the progress of polyolefin materials. In particular, group 4 (Ti, Zr, Hf) non-metallocene catalysts ligated with [N,N] bidentate ligand(s) have garnered increasing attention in the field of olefin polymerization due to their structurally stability and exceptional polymerization behaviors. Ligands containing nitrogen donors are diverse and at the core of many highly active catalysts. They mainly include amidine, guanidinato, diamine, and various N-heterocyclic ligands, which can be used to obtain a series of new polyolefin materials, such as ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHWMPE), olefin copolymers (ethylene/norbornene and ethylene/α-olefin) with high incorporations, and high isotactic or syndiotactic polypropylene after coordination with group 4 metals and activation by cocatalysts. Herein, we focus on the advancements and applications of this field over the past two decades, and introduce the catalyst precursors with [N,N] ligand(s), involving the effects of ligand structure, cocatalyst selection, and polymerization conditions on the catalytic activity and polymer properties.

Dinuclear Group 4 Metal Complexes Bearing Anthracene-Bridged Bifunctional Amido-Ether Ligands: Remarkable Metal Effect and Cooperativity toward Ethylene/1-Octene Copolymerization

Two types of bifunctional amido-ether ligands (syn-L and anti-L) with the rigid anthracene skeleton were designed to support dinuclear group 4 metal complexes. All organic ligands and organometallic complexes (syn-M₂ and anti-M₂; M = Hf, Zr, and Ti) were fully characterized by ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopies and elemental analyses. The anti-Hf₂ complex showed two confirmations at room temperature with C₂-symmetry or S₂-symmetry that can inter-exchange, as indicated by VT NMR, while only a C₂-symmetric isomer was observed for syn-Hf₂ complex at room temperature. However, for Zr and Ti analogues, both syn and anti complexes exhibited only one conformation at room temperature. The molecular structures of complexes syn-Hf₂, anti-Hf₂, and syn-Ti₂ in the solid state were further determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing the distances between two metal centers in syn-M₂ from 7.138 Å (syn-Ti₂) to 7.321 Å (syn-Hf₂) but a much farther separation in anti-M₂ (8.807 Å in C₂-symmetric anti-Hf₂). The mononuclear complex (2-CH₃O-C₆H₄-N-C₁₄H₉)Zr(NMe₂)₃ (mono-Zr₁) was also prepared for control experiments. In the presence of alkyl aluminum (AlEt₃) as the alkylating agent and trityl borate ([Ph₃C][B(C₆F₅)₄]) as the co-catalyst, all metal complexes were tested for copolymerization of ethylene with 1-octene at high temperature (130 °C). The preliminary polymerization results revealed that the activity was highly dependent upon the nature of metal centers, and syn-Zr₂ showed the highest activity of 9600 kg(PE)·mol^-1 (Zr)·h^-1, which was about 17- and 2.2-fold higher than those of syn-Hf₂ and syn-Ti₂, respectively. Benefitting from both steric proximity and electronical interaction of two metal centers, syn-Zr₂ exhibited significant cooperativity in comparison to anti-Zr₂ and mono-Zr₁, with regard to activity and molecular weight and 1-octene incorporation of resultant copolymers.

Amido-trihydroquinoline ligated rare-earth metal complexes for polymerization of isoprene

In combination with a borate, the amido-trihydroquinoline ligated rare-earth metal complexes (Ln = Y, Lu) showed moderate catalytic activities for isoprene polymerization to generate 1,4-enriched polyisoprenes.

C-F bond activation under transition-metal-free conditions

The unique properties of fluorine-containing organic compounds make fluorine substitution attractive for the development of pharmaceuticals and various specialty materials, which have inspired the evolution of diverse C-F bond activation techniques. Although many advances have been made in functionalizations of activated C-F bonds utilizing transition metal complexes, there are fewer approaches available for nonactivated C-F bonds due to the difficulty in oxidative addition of transition metals to the inert C-F bonds. In this regard, using Lewis acid to abstract the fluoride and light/radical initiator to generate the radical intermediate have emerged as powerful tools for activating those inert C-F bonds. Meanwhile, these transition-metal-free processes are greener, economical, and for the pharmaceutical industry, without heavy metal residues. This review provides an overview of recent C-F bond activations and functionalizations under transition-metal-free conditions. The key mechanisms involved are demonstrated and discussed in detail. Finally, a brief discussion on the existing limitations of this field and our perspective are presented.

Synthesis of Ethylene/1-Octene Copolymers with Ultrahigh Molecular Weights by Zr and Hf Complexes Bearing Bidentate NN Ligands with the Camphyl Linker

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a class of high-performance engineering plastics, exhibiting a unique set of properties and applications. Although many advances have been achieved in recent years, the synthesis of UHMWPE is still a great challenge. In this contribution, a series of zirconium and hafnium complexes, [2,6-(R1)2-4-R2-C6H2-N-C(camphyl)=C(camphyl)-N-2,6-(R1)2-4-R2-C6H2]MMe2(THF) (1-Zr: R1 = Me, R2 = H, M = Zr; 2-Zr: R1 = Me, R2 = Me, M = Zr; 1-Hf: R1 = Me, R2 = H, M = Hf; 2-Hf: R1 = Me, R2 = Me, M = Hf), bearing bidentate NN ligands with the bulky camphyl backbone were synthesized by the stoichiometric reactions of α-diimine ligands with MMe4 (M = Hf or Zr). All Zr and Hf metal complexes were analyzed using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures of complexes 1-Zr and 1-Hf were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing that the original α-diimine ligand was selectively reduced into the ene-diamido form and generated an 1,3-diaza-2-metallocyclopentene ring in the metal complexes. Zr complexes 1-Zr and 2-Zr showed moderate activity (up to 388 kg(PE)·mol−1(M)·h−1), poor copolymerization ability, but unprecedented molecular weight capability toward ethylene/1-octene copolymerization. Therefore, copolymers with ultrahigh molecular weights (>600 or 337 × 104 g∙mol−1) were successfully synthesized by 1-Zr or 2-Zr, respectively, with the borate cocatalyst [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4]. Surprisingly, Hf complexes 1-Hf and 2-Hf showed negligible activity under otherwise identical conditions, revealing the great influence of metal centers on catalytic performances.

Applications of Palladium-Catalyzed C-N Cross-Coupling Reactions

Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions that form C–N bonds have become useful methods to synthesize anilines and aniline derivatives, an important class of compounds throughout chemical research. A key factor in the widespread adoption of these methods has been the continued development of reliable and versatile catalysts that function under operationally simple, user-friendly conditions. This review provides an overview of Pd-catalyzed N-arylation reactions found in both basic and applied chemical research from 2008 to the present. Selected examples of C–N cross-coupling reactions between nine classes of nitrogen-based coupling partners and (pseudo)aryl halides are described for the synthesis of heterocycles, medicinally relevant compounds, natural products, organic materials, and catalysts.

Development of group IV molecular catalysts for high temperature ethylene-α-olefin copolymerization reactions

This Account describes our research related to the development of molecular catalysts for solution phase olefin polymerization. Specifically, a series of constrained geometry and nonmetallocene (imino-amido-type) complexes were developed for high temperature olefin polymerization reactions. We have discovered many highly active catalysts that are capable of operating at temperatures above 120 °C and producing copolymers with a useful range of molecular weights (from medium to ultrahigh depending on precatalyst identity and polymerization conditions) and α-olefin incorporation capability. Constrained geometry catalysts (CGCs) exhibit very high activities and are capable of producing a variety of copolymers including ethylene-propylene and ethylene-1-octene copolymers at high reactor temperatures. Importantly, CGCs have much higher reactivity toward α-olefins than classical Ziegler-Natta catalysts, thus allowing for the production of copolymers with any desired level of comonomer. In search of catalysts with improved performance, we discovered 3-amino-substituted indenyl-based CGCs that exhibit the highest activity and produce copolymers with the highest molecular weight within this family of catalysts. Phenanthrenyl-based CGCs were found to be outstanding catalysts for the effective production of high styrene content ethylene-styrene copolymers under industrially relevant conditions. In contrast to CGC ligands, imino-amido-type ligands are bidentate and monoionic, leading to the use of trialkyl group IV precatalysts. The thermal instability of imino-amido complexes was addressed by the development of imino-enamido and amidoquinoline complexes, which are not only thermally very robust, but also produce copolymers with higher molecular weights, and exhibit improved α-olefin incorporation. Imido-amido and imino-enamido catalysts undergo facile chain transfer reactions with metal alkyls, as evidenced by a sharp decrease in polymer molecular weight when the polymerization reactions were conducted in the presence of diethylzinc, an essential requirement for use in the production of olefin block copolymers via chain shuttling polymerization. Overall, the excellent characteristics of imino-amido-type catalysts, including high catalytic activities and ultrahigh molecular weight capabilities, make them good candidates for high temperature syntheses of block and random ethylene-α-olefin copolymers. Additionally, trialkyl imino-enamido complexes react quickly with various protic and unsaturated organic fragments, leading to a library of dialkyl precatalysts that, in several instances, resulted in superior catalysts. In conjunction with the development of transition metal catalysts, we also synthesized and evaluated activators for olefin polymerization. We found, for example, that, when conducted in coordinating solvents, the reaction between aluminum alkyls and tris(pentafluorophenyl)borane leads to the exclusive formation of alumenium borates, which are excellent activators for CGC complexes. Additionally, we developed a series of highly effective new activators featuring a very weakly coordinating anion composed of two Lewis acids coordinated to an imidazole fragment.