Zwitterionic and Bis-amido Zinc Complexes with Bulky Bis(phosphanylamino)benzene Ligands: Synthesis, Reactivity, and Molecular Structures of [ZnCl2(1,2-{N(PHMes2)}2C6H4-κ2N,N‘)], [ZnPr{1-N(PMes2)-2-N(PHMes2)C6H4-κ2N,N‘}], and [Zn{1-N(PMes2)-2-N(μ-PMes2)C6H4-κ3N,N‘,P}]2

Dinuclear magnesium, zinc and aluminum complexes supported by bis(iminopyrrolide) ligands: synthesis, structures, and catalysis toward the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and rac-lactide

Synthesis and characterization of novel dinuclear magnesium, zinc and aluminum complexes supported by bis(iminopyrrolide) ligands and their catalysis toward the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and rac-lactide (rac-LA) were carried out. The ligand precursors [(5-Bu(t)-2-C4H2NH)CH=N(CH2)2]2NH (H2L(Bu), 1) and [(2-C4H3NH)CH=N(CH2)2]2NH (H2L(H), 2) were prepared by condensation of diethylene triamine with 5-tert-butyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde and 1H-pyrrole-2-carbaldehyde, respectively. Treatment of 1 with 2 equiv. of Bu(n)MgOBn in toluene at 70 °C produced dinuclear magnesium complex [(μ-OBn)2Mg2L(Bu)] (3). Similar treatment of 1 with EtZnOBn generated [(μ-OBn)2Zn2L(Bu)] (4). Reaction of 2 with 2 equiv. of Me2AlOBn in toluene at 70 °C afforded aluminum complex [Me2Al(μ-OBn)2AlL(H)] (5). Complexes 3-5 were characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, and single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Each of complexes 3-5 is active for the ROP of ε-CL and rac-LA. Kinetic studies of the polymerization reactions were performed.

Coordination chemistry and reactivity of zinc complexes supported by a phosphido pincer ligand

The preparation and characterization of new Zn(II) complexes of the type [(PPP)ZnR] in which R = Et (1) or N(SiMe(3))(2) (2) and PPP is a tridentate monoanionic phosphido ligand (PPP-H = bis(2-diphenylphosphinophenyl)phosphine) are reported. Reaction of ZnEt(2) and Zn[N(SiMe(3))(2)](2) with one equivalent of proligand PPP-H produced the corresponding tetrahedral zinc ethyl (1) and zinc amido (2) complexes in high yield. Homoleptic (PPP)(2) Zn complex 3 was obtained by reaction of the precursors with two equivalents of the proligand. Structural characterization of 1-3 was achieved by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (13)C, and (31)P) and X-ray crystallography (3). Variable-temperature (1)H and (31)P NMR studies highlighted marked flexibility of the phosphido pincer ligand in coordination at the metal center. A DFT calculation on the compounds provided theoretical support for this behavior. The activities of 1 and 2 toward the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and of L- and rac-lactide were investigated, also in combination with an alcohol as external chain-transfer agent. Polyesters with controlled molecular parameters (M(n), end groups) and low polydispersities were obtained. A DFT study on ring-opening polymerization promoted by these complexes highlighted the importance of the coordinative flexibility of the ancillary ligand to promote monomer coordination at the reactive zinc center. Preliminary investigations showed the ability of these complexes to promote copolymerization of L-lactide and ε-caprolactone to achieve random copolymers whose microstructure reproduces the composition of the monomer feed.

Amido phosphine complexes of zinc: synthesis, structure, and catalytic ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone

A series of diarylamido phosphine ligands of the type N-(2-dihydrocarbylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-dialkylanilide 1a-d have been prepared and employed to investigate the coordination chemistry of zinc. Protonolysis of ZnMe2 with one equivalent of N-(2-diphenylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline (H[1a]) produced a mixture of [1a]ZnMe (2a) and Zn[1a]2 (4a), whereas that involving ZnEt2 gave exclusively the three-coordinate [1a]ZnEt (3a). In contrast, treatment of ZnR2 (R = Me, Et) with N-(2-diphenylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-diisopropylaniline (H[1b]), N-(2-diisopropylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-dimethylaniline (H[1c]), or N-(2-diisopropylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-diisopropylaniline (H[1d]) under similar conditions generated quantitatively the corresponding three-coordinate zinc methyl 2b-d and zinc ethyl 3b-d. The bis-ligand complexes 4a,b,d were isolated by either protonolysis of alkyls 2-3 with one equivalent of H[1] or metathesis of ZnX2 (X = Cl, OAc) with the corresponding lithium derivatives 5. Attempts to prepare [1a-d]ZnX (X = Cl, OAc) were not successful regardless of stoichiometry of the starting materials employed. Alcoholysis of zinc alkyls 2-3 led undesirably to protonation on the amido nitrogen donor of 1, highlighting perhaps its higher basicity than alkyls. The reaction of ZnCl2 with H[1c] generated the phosphorus-bound adduct {H[1c]ZnCl(mu-Cl)}2 (6c). Interestingly, attempts to deprotonate 6c with n-BuLi produced unexpectedly the alkylated product [1c]Zn(n-Bu) (7c) instead of [1c]ZnCl; analogous reactions employing NEt3 led to Lewis base substitution to give H[1c] and [ZnCl2(NEt3)]2. Structural characterization of all new compounds was achieved by multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 31P, and 7Li) and X-ray crystallography (2c-d, 3c, 4d, 5c-d, and 6c) where appropriate. On the basis of the NMR and X-ray data, in combination with the synthetic investigations, the steric nature of these amido phosphine ligands is recognized to follow the order of 1a < 1b < 1c < 1d. Interestingly, zinc alkyls 2-3 are all active initiators for catalytic ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone whereas the bis-ligand complexes 4 are not.

Unique formation of mono-, tetra- and nona-nuclear zinc complexes from protonolysis reactions of [Zn(dmpzm)Et2]

Protonolysis reactions of [Zn(dmpzm)Et(2)] () with acetic or formic acid in different molar ratios gave rise to four mononuclear zinc complexes [ZnEt(dmpzm)(L)] (: L = OAc : L = HCOO) and [Zn(dmpzm)(L)(2)] (: L = OAc;L = HCOO), one nonanuclear zinc complex [Zn(micro(4)-O)(2)(ZnEt)(6)(micro(3)-OAc)(4)(micro'(3)-OAc)(2){Zn(dmpzm)Et}(2)], and one tetranuclear zinc complex [Zn(4)(micro(4)-O)(dmpzm)(3)Et(3)]. Compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectra, (1)H NMR spectra, and the crystal structures of , were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. In the structures of the central Zn atom is tetrahedrally coordinated by two N atoms of one dmpzm and two C atoms of two Et groups (), or one C atom of one Et group and one O atom of formate ligand, or two O atoms of two acetates. In the structure of , a heptanuclear [Zn(micro(4)-O)(2)(ZnEt)(6)(micro(3)-OAc)(4)] core is connected with two [Zn(dmpzm)Et](+) fragments via a pair of micro'(3)-OAc ligands. Compound consists of a Zn(4)(micro(4)-O) tetrahedron in which three Zn atoms are further saturated by two N atoms from dmpzm ligands and an ethyl group while one Zn center is coordinated by three C atoms from the methylene group of the three dmpzm ligands.