Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Transformations for the Synthesis of Marine Drugs

Transition metal catalysis has contributed to the discovery of novel methodologies and the preparation of natural products, as well as new chances to increase the chemical space in drug discovery programs. In the case of marine drugs, this strategy has been used to achieve selective, sustainable and efficient transformations, which cannot be obtained otherwise. In this perspective, we aim to showcase how a variety of transition metals have provided fruitful couplings in a wide variety of marine drug-like scaffolds over the past few years, by accelerating the production of these valuable molecules.

2-(Arylimino)benzylidene-8-arylimino-5,6,7-trihydroquinoline Cobalt(II) Dichloride Polymerization Catalysts for Polyethylenes with Narrow Polydispersity

A series of 2-(arylimino)benzylidene-8-arylimino-5,6,7-trihydroquinoline cobalt(II) chlorides (Co1–Co6) containing a fused ring and a more inert phenyl group as the substituent at the imino-C atom has been synthesized using a one-pot synthesis method and fully characterized by FT-IR and elemental analysis. The molecular structures of Co2 and Co5 have been confirmed by X-ray diffraction as having a distorted square pyramidal geometry around a cobalt core with a tridentate N,N,N-chelating ligand and two chlorides. On activation with either methylaluminoxane (MAO) or modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), Co1–Co6 exhibited high activities for ethylene polymerization. The least sterically hindered Co2 showed a maximum activity of 16.51 × 106 g (PE) mol−1 (Co) h−1 at a moderate temperature 50 °C. Additionally, ortho-fluoride Co6 was able to maintain a high activity not only at 70 °C but also after 60 min at 50 °C, highlighting its excellent thermal-stability and long catalytic lifetime. The resultant polyethylene showed clearly narrower molecular weight distribution (PDI: 1.3–3.1) than those produced by structurally related cobalt counterparts, indicating the positive influence of benzhydryl substitution on the catalysis. Moreover, the molecular weight (1.7–386.6 kg mol−1) of vinyl- or n-propyl-terminated polyethylene can be finely regulated by controlling polymerization parameters.

Structural evolution of iminopyridine support for nickel/palladium catalysts in ethylene (oligo)polymerization

The interest in the late transition metal catalyst based design of new architectures of polyethylene (PE) has continuously been increasing over the last few years. The structure of these catalysts is predominantly important in controlling the morphological and architectural properties of the resulting polyethylene. Particularly, iminopyridine is a versatile bidentate support for Ni and Pd catalysts in ethylene (oligo)polymerization providing a wide variety of products ranging from volatile oligomers to ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene. Extensive structural modifications have been induced in the iminopyridine ligand through steric and electronic substitution, tuning the catalyst behavior in terms of activity and properties of the resulting polymer. Carbocyclic-fused iminopyridine and N-oxide iminopyridine are the new state of the art iminopyridine ligand designs. In this review, we aim to summarize all the developments in mononuclear iminopyridine-nickel and -palladium catalysts for ethylene (oligo)polymerization since the first report published in 1999 to present, focusing on the correlation among the pre-catalyst, co-catalyst type, thermal stability and polymer/oligomer structure. For comparison, the structural variations in the binuclear iminopyridine-nickel catalysts are also described. The detailed comparison of the structural variations in these catalysts with respect to their polymerization performance will give deep understanding in the development of new efficient catalyst designs.

LLDPE-like Polymers Accessible via Ethylene Homopolymerization Using Nitro-Appended 2-(Arylimino)pyridine-nickel Catalysts

Four examples of para-nitro substituted 2-(arylimino)pyridine-nickel(II) bromide complexes of general formula, [2-{(2,6-R-4-NO2C6H2)N=CMe}C5H4N]NiBr2, but differentiable by the steric/electronic properties displayed by the ortho-groups [R = i-Pr (Ni1), Et (Ni2), CHPh2 (Ni3), CH(4-FPh)2 (Ni4)], have been prepared in good yield. For comparative purposes, the meta-nitro complex, [2-{(2,6-i-Pr2-3-NO2-4-(4-FPh)2C6H)N=CMe}C5H4N]NiBr2 (Ni5), has also been synthesized. The molecular structures of mononuclear Ni3·xH2O (x = 2, 3) and bromide-bridged dinuclear Ni4 and Ni5 are disclosed. Upon activation with either ethylaluminum dichloride (EtAlCl2) or modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO), all precatalysts displayed good catalytic performance at operating temperatures between 30 °C and 60 °C with higher activities generally seen using EtAlCl2 [up to 4.7 × 106 g PE (mol of Ni)−1 h−1]: Ni2 ~ Ni5 > Ni1 ~ Ni4 > Ni3. In terms of the resultant polyethylene (PE), Ni4/EtAlCl2 formed the highest molecular weight of the series (Mw up to 1.4 × 105 g mol−1) with dispersities (Mw/Mn) ranging from narrow to broad (Mw/Mn range: 2.2–24.4). Moreover, the melting temperatures (Tm) of the polymers generated via EtAlCl2 activation fell in a narrow range, 117.8–126.0 °C, which resembles that seen for industrial-grade linear-low density polyethylene (LLDPE). Indeed, their 13C NMR spectra revealed significant amounts of uniformly distributed long-chain branches (LCBs), while internal vinylene groups constituted the major type of chain unsaturation [vinylene:vinyl = 5.3:1 (EtAlCl2) and 9.9:1 (MMAO)].

High molecular weight PE elastomers through 4,4-difluorobenzhydryl substitution in symmetrical α-diimino-nickel ethylene polymerization catalysts

The following family of N,N-diaryl-2,3-dimethyl-1,4-diazabutadienes, ArN[double bond, length as m-dash]C(Me)C(Me)[double bond, length as m-dash]NAr (Ar = 2,6-Me2-4-{CH(4-FC6H4)2}C6H2L1, 2-Me-6-Et-4-{CH(4-FC6H4)2}C6H2L2, 2,4-{CH(4-FC6H4)2}2-6-MeC6H2L3, 2,4-{CH(4-FC6H4)2}2-6-EtC6H2L4, 2,4-{CH(4-FC6H4)2}2-6-iPrC6H2L5), each incorporating para-substituted 4,4-difluorobenzhydryl groups but differing in the ortho-pairing, have been synthesized and used as precursors to their respective nickel(ii) bromide complexes, Ni1-Ni5. Compound characterization has been achieved through a combination of FT-IR, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 19F) and elemental analysis. In addition, L1, Ni1 and Ni5 have been structurally characterized with Ni1 and Ni5 revealing similarly distorted tetrahedral geometries about nickel but with distinct differences in the steric protection offered by the ortho-substituents. All nickel complexes, under suitable activation, showed high activity for ethylene polymerization with a predilection towards forming branched high molecular weight polyethylene with narrow dispersity. Notably the most sterically bulky Ni5, under activation with either EtAlCl2, Et2AlCl or EASC, was exceptionally active (0.9-1.0 × 107 g of PE per (mol of Ni) per h) at an operating temperature of 40 °C. Furthermore, the polyethylene generated displayed molecular weights close to one million g mol-1 (M w range: 829-922 kg mol-1) with high branching densities (86-102/1000 carbons) and a selectivity for short chain branches (% Me = 94.3% (EtAlCl2), 87.2% (Et2AlCl), 87.7% (EASC)). Further analysis of the mechanical properties of the polymers produced at 40 °C and 50 °C using Ni5 highlighted the key role played by crystallinity (X c) and molecular weight (M w) on tensile strength (σ b) and elongation at break (ε b). In addition, stress-strain recovery tests reveal these high molecular weight polymers to exhibit characteristics of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).

Structural and ethylene oligomerization studies of chelating (imino)phenol Fe(ii), Co(ii) and Ni(ii) complexes: an experimental and theoretical approach

Experimental and theoretical data indicate that the stability and metal charge of N^O Fe(ii), Co(ii) and Ni(ii) complexes control their catalytic activities in ethylene oligomerization reactions.

Fluorinated Sterically Bulky Mononuclear and Binuclear 2-Iminopyridylnickel Halides for Ethylene Polymerization: Effects of Ligand Frameworks and Remote Substituents

In the present work, four new mono(imino)pyridine ligands, 2-((2,4-bis(bis(4-R-phenyl)methyl)-6-fluorophenylimino)methyl)pyridine (R = H, L1; R = OCH3, L2; R = F, L3) and 2-((2-(bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl)-4-((3-(bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl)-4-amine-5-fluoro-phenyl)(phenyl)methyl)-6-fluorophenylimino)methyl)pyridine (L4), have been designed in good yields. Additionally, three novel benzhydryl-bridged bis(imino)pyridine ligands, 2-(2-(bis(4-R-phenyl)methyl)-6-fluoro-phenylimino)pyridine (R = H, L5; R = OCH3, L6; R = F, L7), were also prepared for comparison. All these organic compounds have been characterized by FT-IR analysis, 1H/13C NMR spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The treatment of L1-L7 with nickel halides afforded the corresponding monometallic (Ni1-Ni4) and bimetallic (Ni5-Ni7) nickel complexes in moderate to good overall yields. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), Ni4 Cl showed the highest activity up to 8.3 × 106 g of polyethylene (PE) (mol of Ni)-1 h-1 among Ni1-Ni7 for ethylene polymerization. In all cases, unsaturated PEs with low molecular weights (0.7-13.3 kg mol-1) were produced effectively. The introduction of remote para-substituents into the benzhydryl groups showed a beneficial effect on catalytic activity with the overall activities following the order of Ni-F > Ni-OCH3 > Ni-H. In addition, these para-substituents were also found to affect not only the catalytic performance of catalysts but also the branching content of the PE product. Generally, the resultant PE waxes were moderately branched and contained both terminal vinyls (-CH=CH2) and internal vinylenes (-CH=CH-) while with different ratios of vinyls to vinylenes. Notably, the polymers produced using para-methoxy-substituted Ni2/MAO and Ni6/MAO possessed the least branching content and uniquely high vinyl contributions.

Nickel Catalyzed Olefin Oligomerization and Dimerization

Brought to life more than half a century ago and successfully applied for high-value petrochemical intermediates production, nickel-catalyzed olefin oligomerization is still a very dynamic topic, with many fundamental questions to address and industrial challenges to overcome. The unique and versatile reactivity of nickel enables the oligomerization of ethylene, propylene, and butenes into a wide range of oligomers that are highly sought-after in numerous fields to be controlled. Interestingly, both homogeneous and heterogeneous nickel catalysts have been scrutinized and employed to do this. This rare specificity encouraged us to interlink them in this review so as to open up opportunities for further catalyst development and innovation. An in-depth understanding of the reaction mechanisms in play is essential to being able to fine-tune the selectivity and achieve efficiency in the rational design of novel catalytic systems. This review thus provides a complete overview of the subject, compiling the main fundamental/industrial milestones and remaining challenges facing homogeneous/heterogeneous approaches as well as emerging catalytic concepts, with a focus on the last 10 years.

Silica-Grafted Tris(neopentyl)aluminum: A Monomeric Aluminum Solid Co-catalyst for Efficient Nickel-Catalyzed Ethene Dimerization

A silica-supported monomeric alkylaluminum co-catalyst was prepared via surface organometallic chemistry by contacting tris(neopentyl)aluminum and partially dehydroxylated silica. This system, fully characterized by solid-state ²⁷ Al NMR spectroscopy augmented by computational studies, efficiently activates (ⁿ Bu₃ P)₂ NiCl₂ towards dimerization of ethene, demonstrating comparable activity to previously reported dimeric diethylaluminum chloride supported on silica. Three types of aluminum surface species have been identified: monografted tetracoordinated Al species as well as two types of bisgrafted Al species-tetra- and pentacoordinated. Of them, only the monografted Al species is proposed to be able to activate the (ⁿ Bu₃ P)₂ NiCl₂ complex and generate the active cationic species.

Pd-Iminocarboxylate Complexes and Their Behavior in Ethylene Polymerization

Designing co-catalyst-free late transition metal complexes for ethylene polymerization is a challenging task at the interface of organometallic and polymer chemistry. Herein, a set of new, co-catalyst-free, single-component catalytic systems for ethylene polymerization have been unraveled. Treatment of anthranilic acid with various aldehydes produced four iminocarboxylate ligands (L1-L4) in very good to excellent yield (75-92 %). The existence of 2-((2-methoxybenzylidene)amino) benzoic acid (L1) has been unambiguously demonstrated using NMR spectroscopy, MS and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. A neutral Pd-iminocarboxylate complex [{N O}PdMe(L1)] (N O=κ² -N,O-ArCHNC₆ H₄ CO₂ with Ar=2-MeOC₆ H₄ ) C1 was prepared by treating stoichiometric amount of L1.Na with palladium precursor. The identity of C1 was confirmed by 1-2D NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Along the same lines, palladium complexes C2-C4 were prepared from ligands L2-L4 respectively. In-situ high-pressure NMR investigations revealed that these Pd complexes are amenable to ethylene insertion and undergo facile β-H elimination to produce propylene. These palladium complexes were then evaluated in ethylene polymerization reaction and various reaction parameters were screened. When C1-C4 were exposed to ethylene pressures of 10-50 bar, formation of low-molecular-weight polyethylene was observed.

Copolymerization of Propylene with Higher α-Olefins by a Pyridylamidohafnium Catalyst: An Effective Approach to Polypropylene-Based Elastomer

In this contribution, we explored the copolymerization of propylene with higher α-olefins, including 1-octene (C8) 1-dodecene (C12), 1-hexadecene (C16) and 1-eicosene (C20), by using a dimethyl pyridylamidohafnium catalyst. A series of copolymers with varied comonomer incorporation, high molecular weight and narrow molecular weight distribution were obtained at mild conditions. The effects of the insertion of the comonomers on the microstructure, thermal and final mechanical properties were systemically studied by 13C NMR, wide-angle X-ray scattering, DSC and tensile test. Excellent mechanical performances were achieved by tuning the incorporation and chain length of the higher α-olefins. When the comonomer content reached above 12 mol.%, polypropylene-based elastomers were obtained with high ductility. A combination of excellent elastic recovery and flexibility was achieved for the P/C16 copolymers with about 20 mol.% monomer incorporation. The monomer incorporation and side chain length played a crucial role in determining the mechanical property of the outstanding polypropylene-based elastomers.

2-(N,N-Diethylaminomethyl)-6,7-trihydroquinolinyl-8-ylideneamine-Ni(ii) chlorides: application in ethylene dimerization and trimerization

The unusual influence of co-catalysts on the oligomerization of ethylene is observed with the title nickel complexes, indicating major dimerization and major trimerization with the co-catalysts MAO and MMAO, respectively.

Postsynthetic functionalization of covalent organic frameworks

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been at the forefront of porous-material research in recent years. With predictable structural compositions and controllable functionalities, the structures and properties of COFs could be controlled to achieve targeted materials. On the other hand, the predesigned structure of COFs allows fruitful postsynthetic modifications to introduce new properties and functions. In this review, the postsynthetic functionalizations of COFs are discussed and their impacts towards structural qualities and performances are comparatively elaborated on. The functionalization involves the formation of specific interactions (covalent or coordination/ionic bonds) and chemical reactions (oxidation/reduction reaction) with pendant groups, skeleton and reactive linkages of COFs. The chemical stability and performance of COFs including catalytic activity, storage, sorption and opto-electronic properties might be enhanced by specific postsynthetic functionalization. The generality of these strategies in terms of chemical reactions and the range of suitable COFs places them as a pivotal role for the development of COF-based smart materials.

The effect of phenolic compounds on salicylaldimine nickel-catalyzed ethylene oligomerization

A salen nickel complex has been prepared in good yield with ethylenediamine, salicylaldehyde, and NiCl2·6H2O as raw materials. The structure of the complex was characterized by FTIR, 1H NMR, UV, and ESI-MS. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), the precatalyst showed high activity for ethylene oligomerization. To reduce the simultaneous production of insoluble polymers during the nickel-catalyzed ethylene oligomerization, a series of phenolic compounds were introduced as modifiers for the production of linear α-olefins. The researched result showed that the phenolic compounds have a significant impact on the selectivity of oligomers and the concentration of polymers. With the increase of phenolic compounds, the content of polymers decreased and the distribution of oligomers gradually shifted toward lighter olefins. The sterically hindered 4-tert-butyphenol proved to be an especially efficient polymer-retarding modifier among the studied phenolic compounds in this work. Furthermore, the retarding effect of phenolic compounds toward insoluble polymers may be mainly related to their interaction with MAO, giving rise to larger MAO aggregates.

Gas-Phase Reactions of the Group 10 Organometallic Cations, [(phen)M(CH3)]+ with Acetone: Only Platinum Promotes a Catalytic Cycle via the Enolate [(phen)Pt(OC(CH2)CH3)]+

Electrospray ionisation of the ligated group 10 metal complexes [(phen)M(O2CCH3)2] (M = Ni, Pd, Pt) generates the cations [(phen)M(O2CCH3)]+, whose gas-phase chemistry was studied using multistage mass spectrometry experiments in an ion trap mass spectrometer with the combination of collision-induced dissociation (CID) and ion-molecule reactions (IMR). A new catalytic cycle has been discovered. In step 1, decarboxylation of [(phen)M(O2CCH3)]+ under CID conditions generates the organometallic cations [(phen)M(CH3)]+, which react with acetone to generate the [(phen)M(CH3)(OC(CH3)2)]+ adducts in competition with formation of the coordinated enolate for M = Pt (step 2). For M = Ni and Pd, the adducts regenerate [(phen)M(CH3)]+ upon CID. In the case of M = Pt, loss of methane is favored over loss of acetone and results in the formation of the enolate complex, [(phen)Pt(OC(CH2)CH3)]+. Upon further CID, both methane and CO loss can be observed resulting in the formation of the ketenyl and ethyl complexes [(phen)Pt(OCCH)]+ and [(phen)Pt(CH2CH3)]+ (step 3), respectively. In step 4, CID of [(phen)Pt(CH2CH3)]+ results in a beta-hydride elimination reaction to yield the hydride complex, [(phen)Pt(H)]+, which reacts with acetic acid to regenerate the acetate complex [(phen)Pt(O2CCH3)]+ and H2 in step 5. Thus, the catalytic cycle is formally closed, which corresponds to the decomposition of acetone and acetic acid into methane, CO, CO2, ethene and H2. All except the last step of the catalytic cycle are modelled using DFT calculations with optimizations of structures at the M06/SDD 6-31G(d) level of theory.

N,N-chelated nickel catalysts for highly branched polyolefin elastomers: a survey

The physical properties and end applications of polyolefin materials are defined by their chain architectures and topologies. These properties can, in part, be controlled by a judicious choice of the steric and electronic properties of the catalyst and, in particular, the ligand framework. One major achievement in this field is the discovery of thermoplastic polyolefin elastomers that combine the processing and recyclable characteristics of thermoplastics with the flexibility and ductility of elastomers. These polymers are highly sought after as alternative materials to thermoset elastomers. In this perspective, works in the literature related to the development of nickel catalysts as well as their implementations for the synthesis of polyolefin elastomers are summarized in detail. Throughout the perspective, attention has been focused on developing the relationship between catalyst structure and performance, on strategies for the synthesis of polyolefin elastomer using nickel catalysts, on properties of the resultant polyolefin, such as degree of branching and crystallinity, as well as on their effects on mechanical properties. The future perspective regarding the most recent developments in single-step production of polyethylene elastomers will also be presented.

Advancing polyethylene properties by incorporating NO2 moiety in 1,2-bis(arylimino)acenaphthylnickel precatalysts: synthesis, characterization and ethylene polymerization

A new family of nickel halides (bromides Ni1-Ni5 and chlorides Ni6-Ni10) ligated by 1-(2,6-dibenzhydryl-4-nitrophenylimino)-2-(arylimino)acenaphthylene (Aryl = 2,6-Me₂C₆H₃L1, 2,6-Et₂C₆H₃L2, 2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃L3, 2,4,6-Me₃C₆H₂L4, and 2,6-Et₂-4-MeC₆H₂L5) have been prepared and well characterized, and the scope of their catalytic properties toward the polymerization of ethylene has been investigated. Upon activation with either Et₂AlCl or EASC, the nickel bromide complexes displayed better activities than their nickel chloride counterparts and produced higher-molecular-weight polyethylene in the range of 10⁶ g mol^-1 with a very narrow range of molecular weight distributions. In comparison with reference precatalysts with non-nitro substituents (CH₃, F or Cl), the title complexes experienced a modest negative effect on catalytic activity upon replacement with a NO₂ moiety (activity up to 4.61 × 10⁶ g PE (mol Ni)^-1 h^-1 at 20 °C). Conversely, the NO₂ moiety exerted a positive effect to increase the molecular weight of the resulting polyethylene, and Ni4/Et₂AlCl gave polyethylene with a maximum molecular weight of as high as 32.8 × 10⁵ g mol^-1, which is not only the highest among the title complexes but also higher than any literature values reported with 1,2-diiminoacenaphthylnickel halides.