Diene-Containing Half-Sandwich MoIII Complexes as Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts: Experimental and Theoretical Studies
International audience; Seventeen-electron compounds of Mo III having the general formula [(h 5-C 5 R 5)Mo(h 4-diene)X 2 ] (R H, Me; diene butadiene, iso-prene, or 2,3-dimethylbutadiene; X Cl, CH 3) are a new class of ethylene polymerization catalysts. The polyethy-lene obtained shows a bimodal distribution , the major weight fraction being characterized by very long (M around 10 6) and highly linear polymer chains. The newly prepared pentamethylcyclo-pentadienyl (Cp*) derivatives are more active than the cyclopentadienyl (Cp) derivatives, but much less active than previously investigated niobium III compounds having the same stoichiometry. On the other hand, the turnover frequency of the a…
Dialkyl(butadiene)cyclopentadienylmolybdenum(III) Complexes. Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity
International audience; Treatment of CpMo(η4-diene)Cl2 (diene = 1,3-butadiene, C4H6, 1‘; isoprene, C5H8, 1‘ ‘; 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, C6H10, 1‘ ‘) in diethyl ether at low temperature with 2 equiv of alkylmagnesium RMgX reagents affords the corresponding dialkyl complexes CpMo(η4-1,3-diene)R2 (2, 2‘, 2‘ ‘, R = CH3, a; CH2Ph, b; CH2SiMe3, c). These species are isolable in moderate yields and have been fully characterized by EPR, elemental analyses, and cyclic voltammetry. They all show a reversible reduction process at relatively low potentials and an irreversible oxidation. The structure of 2‘ ‘a was confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The mixed complex CpMo(η4-C4H6)Cl(CH3), …
A reinvestigation of compound CpMo(PMe3)2(CH3)2: Alkylation by single electron transfer and radical addition?
International audience; The synthesis of the half-sandwich molybdenum(III) diphosphine dimethyl complex CpMo(PMe3)2(CH3)2 has been reinvestigated. The compound was obtained from the corresponding dichloro complex CpMo(PMe3)2Cl2 and methyllithium at low temperatures and isolated as a crystalline product by conducting all operations at temperatures lower than −10 °C. The complex is thermally unstable at room temperature but has been fully characterised by EPR spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry and X-ray diffraction. The formation reaction is retarded by excess phosphine. On the basis of this and other related observations, a mechanism involving phosphine pre-dissociation followed by single elec…
Interaction of half-sandwich alkylmolybdenum(III) complexes with B(C6F5)3. The X-ray structure of [CpMo(η4-C4H6)(μ-Cl)(μ-CH2)(O)MoCp][CH3B(C6F5)3]
Abstract The reactions of the half-sandwich molybdenum(III) complexes CpMo(η 4 -C 4 H 4 R 2 )(CH 3 ) 2 , where Cpη 5 -C 5 H 5 and RH or CH 3 , with equimolar amounts of B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 have been investigated in toluene. EPR monitoring shows the formation of an addition product which does not readily react with Lewis bases such as ethylene, pyridine, or PMe 3 . The analysis of the EPR properties and the X-ray structure of a decomposition product obtained from dichloromethane, [CpMo(η 4 -C 4 H 6 )(μ-Cl)(μ-CH 2 )(O)MoCp][CH 3 B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 ], indicate that the borane attack has occurred at the methyl position.
Synthesis, characterisation, and molecular and electronic structure of CpMoCl2(R1C≡CR2) (R1, R2 = Ph, Et, Me): a new class of half-sandwich 17-electron molybdenum(III) organometallics
International audience; Addition of alkyne to [CpMoCl2]2 affords compounds CpMoCl2(η2-alkyne) (alkyne = EtC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CMe, 1; EtC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CEt, 2; PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CMe, 3; PhC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh, 4) in good yields. The compounds have been characterised by C,H analyses, IR, EPR and mass spectroscopies, magnetic susceptibility, and cyclic voltammetry. In addition, a single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis has been carried out for compound 4. The alkyne ligand adopts an almost parallel conformation relative to the Cp ring, essentially identical with that of previously reported Nb, Ta, and W analogues. Geometry optimisat…
Stable 17-electron Mo(III) complexes containing alkyl ligands
Abstract The alkylation of the half-sandwich complex CpMoCl 2 ( η 4 -diene) (diene=C 4 H 6 , 2,3-Me 2 C 4 H 4 ) affords the first thermally stable 17-electron compounds containing Mo(III)–alkyl bonds.
Radical Polymerization of Styrene Controlled by Half-Sandwich Mo(III)/Mo(IV) Couples: All Basic Mechanisms Are Possible
Density functional calculations of bond dissociation energies (BDEs) have been used as a guide to the choice of metal system suitable for controlling styrene polymerization by either the stable free radical polymerization (SFRP) or the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) mechanism. In accord with the theoretical prediction, CpMo(eta(4)-C(4)H(6))(CH(2)SiMe(3))(2), 2, is not capable of yielding SFRP of styrene. Still in accord with theoretical prediction, CpMo(eta(4)-C(4)H(6))Cl(2), 1, CpMo(PMe(3))(2)Cl(2), 3, and CpMo(dppe)Cl(2) (dppe = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane), 4, yield controlled styrene polymerization by the SFRP mechanism in the presence of 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile (A…