Solution and solid-state structural studies of epoxide adducts of cadmium phenoxides. Chemistry relevant to epoxide activation for ring-opening reactions

Multinuclear Zinc-Magnesium Hydroxide Carboxylates: A Predesigned Model System for Copolymerization of CO2 with Epoxides

Among numerous catalysts in the ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides with carbon dioxide (CO2), zinc dicarboxylate complexes are the most common type, and in the family of metal-based homogeneous catalysts, zinc and magnesium complexes have attracted widespread attention. We report on the synthesis and structural characterization of a zinc-magnesium benzoate framework templated by the central hydroxide anion with μ3-κ2:κ2:κ2 coordination mode, [ZnMg2(μ3-OH)(O2CPh)5]n (n = 1 or 2). The resulting heterometallic system forms stable Lewis acid-base adducts with tetrahydrofuran (THF) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO), which crystallize as the hexanuclear zinc-magnesium hydroxide carboxylate cluster [ZnMg2(μ3-OH)(O2CPh)5(L)2]2 (L = THF or CHO). Their X-ray crystal structure analysis revealed that the Zn center prefers 4-fold coordination and the Mg centers demonstrated the ability to accommodate higher coordination numbers, and as a result, the heterocyclic molecules are exclusively bonded to 6-fold Mg atoms. The heteronuclear carboxylate aggregates appeared active in the copolymerization reaction at elevated temperatures to produce an alternating poly(cyclohexene carbonate).

Synthesis of cyclic α-pinane carbonate - a potential monomer for bio-based polymers

This work reports the first known synthesis of α-pinane carbonate from an α-pinene derivative. Pinane carbonate is potentially useful as a monomer for poly(pinane carbonate), which would be a sustainable bio-based polymer. α-Pinene is a major waste product from the pulp and paper industries and the most naturally abundant monoterpene in turpentine oil. α-Pinene is routinely converted to pinene oxide and pinanediol, but no study has yet demonstrated the conversion of pinanediol into α-pinane carbonate. Here, α-pinane carbonate was synthesised via carboxylation of α-pinanediol with dimethyl carbonate under base catalysis using triazabicyclodecene guanidine (TBD). 81.1 ± 2.8% α-pinane carbonate yield was achieved at 98.7% purity. The produced α-pinane carbonate was a white crystalline solid with a melting point of 86 °C. It was characterised using FTIR, NMR, GCMS and a quadrupole time-of-flight (QTOF) mass spectrometer. The FTIR exhibited a C Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> O peak at 1794 cm⁻¹ confirming the presence of a cyclic carbonate. GCMS showed that the α-pinane carbonate fragments with loss of CO₂, forming pinene epoxide. Base hydrolysis of the α-pinane carbonate using NaOH/ethanol/water regenerated the pinanediol with formations of Na₂CO₃.

Synthesis of α-pinane carbonate from an α-pinene derivative.

Heterotrimetallic Carbon Dioxide Copolymerization and Switchable Catalysts: Sodium is the Key to High Activity and Unusual Selectivity

A challenge in polymer synthesis using CO2 is to precisely control CO2 placement in the backbone and chain end groups. Here, a new catalyst class delivers unusual selectivity and is self-switched between different polymerization cycles to construct specific sequences and desirable chain-end chemistries. The best catalyst is a trinuclear dizinc(II)sodium(I) complex and it functions without additives or co-catalysts. It shows excellent rates across different ring-opening (co)polymerization catalytic cycles and allows precise control of CO2 incorporation within polyesters and polyethers, thereby allowing access to new polymer chemistries without requiring esoteric monomers, multi-reactor processes or complex post-polymerization procedures. The structures, kinetics and mechanisms of the catalysts are investigated, providing evidence for intermediate speciation and uncovering the factors governing structure and composition and thereby guiding future catalyst design.

Sustainable synthesis of CO2-derived polycarbonates from d-xylose

Synthetic transformation of d-xylose into a four-membered cyclic ether allows for reactions with CO2 leading to linear polycarbonates by either ring-opening copolymerisation directly or by isolation of a six-membered cyclic carbonate followed by ring-opening polymerisation.

Conversion of Carbon Dioxide into Several Potential Chemical Commodities Following Different Pathways - A Review

This article reviews the literature related to the direct uses of CO2and its conversion into various value added chemicals including high energy density liquid fuels such as methanol. The increase in the direct uses of CO2and its conversion into potential chemical commodities is very important as it directly contributes to the mitigation of CO2related global warming problem. The method being followed at present in several countries to reduce the CO2associated global warming is capturing of CO2at its major outlets using monoethanolamine based solution absorption technique followed by storing it in safe places such as, oceans, depleted coal seams, etc., (i.e., carbon dioxide capturing and storing in safe places, CCS process). This is called as CO2sequestration. Although, the CCS process is the most understood and immediate option to mitigate the global warming problem, it is considerably expensive and has become a burden for those countries, which are practicing this process. The other alternative and most beneficial way of mitigating this global warming problem is to convert the captured CO2into certain value added bulk chemicals instead of disposing it. Conversion of CO2into methanol has been identified as one of such cost effective ways of mitigating global warming problem. Further, if H2is produced from exclusively water using only solar energy instead of any fossil fuel based energy, and is used to convert CO2into methanol there are three major benefits: i) it contributes greatly to the global warming mitigation problem, ii) it greatly saves fossil fuels as methanol production from CO2could be an excellent sustainable and renewable energy resource, and iii) as on today, there is no better process than this to store energy in a more convenient and highly usable form of high energy density liquid fuel. Not only methanol, several other potential chemicals and value added chemical intermediates can be produced from CO2. In this article, i) synthesis of several commodity chemicals including poly and cyclic-carbonates, sodium carbonate and dimethyl carbonate, carbamates, urea, vicinal diamines, 2-arylsuccinic acids, dimethyl ether, methanol, various hydrocarbons, acetic acid, formaldehyde, formic acid, lower alkanes, etc., from CO2, ii) the several direct uses of CO2, and iii) the importance of producing methanol from CO2using exclusively solar energy are presented, discussed and summarized by citing all the relevant and important references.

Copolymerization of Cyclohexene Oxide with CO2 by Using Intramolecular Dinuclear Zinc Catalysts

The intramolecular dinuclear zinc complexes generated in situ from the reaction of multidentate semi-azacrown ether ligands with Et(2)Zn, followed by treatment with an alcohol additive, were found to promote the copolymerization of CO(2) and cyclohexene oxide (CHO) with completely alternating polycarbonate selectivity and high efficiency. With this type of novel initiator, the copolymerization could be accomplished under mild conditions at 1 atm pressure of CO(2), which represents a significant advantage over most catalytic systems developed for this reaction so far. The copolymerization reaction was demonstrated to be a living process as a result of the narrow polydispersities and the linear increase in the molecular weight with conversion of CHO. In addition, the solid-state structure of the dinuclear zinc complex was characterized by X-ray crystal structural analysis and can be considered as a model of the active catalyst. On the basis of the various efforts made to understand the mechanisms of the catalytic reaction, including MALDI-TOF mass analysis of the copolymers' end-groups, the effect of alcohol additives on the catalysis and CO(2) pressure on the conversion of CHO, as well as the kinetic data gained from in situ IR spectroscopy, a plausible catalytic cycle for the present reaction system is outlined. The copolymerization is initiated by the insertion of CO(2) into the Zn--OEt bond to afford a carbonate-ester-bridged complex. The dinuclear zinc structure of the catalyst remains intact throughout the copolymerization. The bridged zinc centers may have a synergistic effect on the copolymerization reaction; one zinc center could activate the epoxide through its coordination and the second zinc atom may be responsible for carbonate propagation by nucleophilic attack by the carbonate ester on the back side of the cis-epoxide ring to afford the carbonate. The mechanistic implication of this is particularly important for future research into the design of efficient and practical catalysts for the copolymerization of epoxides with CO(2.).

Arylzinc Alkoxides: [ArZnOCHP ]2 and Ar2Zn3(OCHP )4 When Ar = C6H5, p-CF3C6H4, 2,4,6-Me3C6H2, and C6F5

From the reactions between diarylzinc compounds (Ar2Zn) and the alcohol (Pr(i)2CHOH) in toluene, the compounds [ArZn(OCHPr(i)2)]2 (Ar = C6H5, C6F5, p-CF3C6H4, and 2,4,6-Me3C6H2) have been isolated and shown to exist in equilibra with the trinuclear complexes Ar2Zn3(OCHPr(i)2)4 and Ar2Zn when Ar = C6H5, C6F5, and p-CF3C6H4. The trinuclear complexes have also been prepared from reactions of the Ar2Zn compounds with the alcohol, which reveals that the ease of Zn-C(aryl) bond cleavage is sensitive to the nature of the Ar group: C6H5 > 4-CF3C6H4 > C6F5. The molecular structures of Ar2Zn3(OCHPr(i)2)4 where Ar = p-CF3C6H4 and C6F5 and [ArZn(OCHPr(i)2)]2 where Ar = C6F5, p-CF3C6H4, and 2,4,6-Me3C6H2 are reported based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The X-ray structure of Zn(p-CF3C6H4)2 is also reported. The reactivity of these new compounds toward the polymerization of propylene oxide (PO) and the copolymerization of PO and CO2 have been investigated along with related reactions involving the partial hydrolysis of the Ar2Zn and R2Zn compounds, where R = t-Bu, n-Bu, and n-Oct. These results are compared with the previous studies employing Et2Zn as an organozinc precursor.

Synthetic and Mechanistic Studies of Strained Heterocycle Opening Reactions Mediated by Zirconium(IV) Imido Complexes

The reactions of the bis(cyclopentadienyl)(tert-butylimido)zirconium complex (Cp(2)Zr=N-t-Bu)(THF) (1) with epoxides, aziridines, and episulfides were investigated. Heterocycles without accessible beta-hydrogens undergo insertion/protonation of the C-X bond to produce 1,2-amino alcohols (X = O) and 1,2-diamines (X = NR), whereas heterocycles with accessible beta-hydrogens undergo elimination/protonation to produce allylic alcohols (X = O) and allylic sulfides (X = S). Mechanistic investigations support a stepwise pathway with zwitterionic intermediates for the first reaction class and a concerted pathway for the second reaction class. Additionally, the feasibility of chirality transfer from the planar-chiral ebthi (ebthi = ethylenebis(tetrahydroindenyl)) ligand was demonstrated with a chiral analogue, (ebthi)-Zr=NAr(THF) (Ar = 2,6-dimethylphenyl), 2, through the diastereoselective ring opening of meso epoxides.

Cadmium Amido Alkoxide and Alkoxide Precursors for the Synthesis of Nanocrystalline CdE (E = S, Se, Te)

The synthesis and characterization of a family of alternative precursors for the production of CdE nanoparticles (E = S, Se, and Te) is reported. The reaction of Cd(NR2)2 where NR2 = N(SiMe3)2 with n HOR led to the isolation of the following: n = 1 [Cd(mu-OCH2CMe3)(NR2)(py)]2 (1, py = pyridine), Cd[(mu-OC6H3(Me)(2)-2,6)2Cd(NR2)(py)]2 (2), [Cd(mu-OC6H3(CHMe2)(2)-2,6)(NR2)(py)]2 (3), [Cd(mu-OC6H3(CMe3)(2)-2,6)(NR2)(py)]2 (4), [Cd(mu-OC6H2(NH2)(3)-2,4,6)(NR2)(py)]2 (5), and n = 2 [Cd(mu-OC6H3(Me)(2)-2,6)(OC6H3(Me)(2)-2,6)(py)2]2 (6), and [Cd(mu-OC6H3(CMe3)(2)-2,6)(OC6H3(CMe3)(2)-2,6)(THF)]2 (7). For all but 2, the X-ray crystal structures were solved as discrete dinuclear units bridged by alkoxide ligands and either terminal -NR2 or -OR ligands depending on the stoichiometry of the initial reaction. For 2, a trinuclear species was isolated using four mu-OR and two terminal -NR2 ligands. The coordination of the Cd metal center varied from 3 to 5 where the higher coordination numbers were achieved by binding Lewis basic solvents for the less sterically demanding ligands. These complexes were further characterized in solution by 1H, 13C, and 113Cd NMR along with solid-state 113Cd NMR spectroscopy. The utility of these complexes as "alternative precursors" for the controlled preparation of nanocrystalline CdS, CdSe, and CdTe was explored. To synthesize CdE nanocrystals, select species from this family of compounds were individually heated in a coordinating solvent (trioctylphosphine oxide) and then injected with the appropriate chalcogenide stock solution. Transmission electron spectroscopy and UV-vis spectroscopy were used to characterize the resultant particles.

Discrete Metal-Based Catalysts for the Copolymerization of CO2 and Epoxides: Discovery, Reactivity, Optimization, and Mechanism

Most synthetic polymers are made from petroleum feedstocks. Given the non-renewable nature of these materials, there is increasing interest in developing routes to polymeric materials from renewable resources. In addition, there is a growing demand for biodegradable polymeric materials. Polycarbonates made from CO(2) and epoxides have the potential to meet these goals. Since the discovery of catalysts for the copolymerization of CO(2) and epoxides in the late 1960's by Inoue, a significant amount of research has been directed toward the development of catalysts of improved activity and selectivity. Reviewed here are well-defined catalysts for epoxide-CO(2) copolymerization and related reactions.

Epoxide-opening and group-transfer reactions mediated by monomeric zirconium imido complexes

N-tert-Butylimidozirconocene (Cp2Zr=Nt-Bu) and its analogue (ebthi)Zr=NAr (ebthi = ethylenebis(tetrahydroindenyl), Ar = 2,6-dimethylphenyl) undergo overall cycloaddition reactions at ambient temperature with epoxides that lack accessible beta-hydrogens. The process results in addition of the Zr=N bond to an epoxide C-O bond, leading to azazirconacyclopentanes. The regio- and stereochemistry of the products implicate a stepwise mechanism, with the intermediacy of zwitterions having substantial carbocation character at the substituted carbon of the ring-opened epoxide-derived fragment. The azametallacycles undergo facile cleavage to beta-amino alcohols upon addition of mild acid.

Core-Modified Porphyrin Incorporating a Phenolate Donor. Characterization of Pd(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), Cd(II), and Fe(III) Complexes

Coordinating properties of acetoxybenziporphyrin, (TPBPOAc)H, have been investigated for a number of metal ions. Insertion of Ni, Pd, and Fe results in the cleavage of the acetoxy group leading to complexes (TPBPO)Ni(II), (TPBPO)Pd(II), and (TPBPO)Fe(III)X containing a M-O bond. No cleavage is observed with Zn(II) and Cd(II), which form complexes (TPBPOAc)M(II)Cl, where M = Zn, Cd. (TPBPO)Ni(II) can also be obtained from the dication of hydroxybenziporphyrin, [(TPBPOH)H(3)]Cl(2), which is prepared by acid hydrolysis of the acetoxy compound. The diamagnetic (TPBPO)Ni(II) can be transformed into the paramagnetic (TPBPOAc)Ni(II)Cl in a reaction with acetyl chloride. X-ray structures have been determined for (TPBPO)Pd(II) and (TPBPOAc)Zn(II)Cl. In the palladium species, the phenolate moiety forms a strong bond to the Pd ion and an unusual interaction geometry is observed, enforced by the macrocyclic environment. Association of a TFA molecule to the phenolic oxygen does not cause significant structural changes in the (TPBPO)Pd(II) molecule. In (TPBPOAc)Zn(II)Cl, the metal ion weakly interacts with the phenolic fragment. The paramagnetic Fe(III) complexes, (TPBPO)Fe(III)X, have been investigated with (1)H NMR spectroscopy. The observed spectral patterns are consistent with the presence of a high-spin Fe(III) center and pi delocalization of spin density onto the phenoxide fragment. Each of the compounds (TPBPO)Fe(III)X exists in solution as a mixture of two isomers, which for X = I are shown to remain in a temperature-dependent equilibrium. The observed isomerism results from two nonequivalent orientations of the axial halide with respect to the puckered macrocyclic ring.