Tuning the strain and polymerizability of organometallic rings: the synthesis, structure, and ring-opening polymerization behavior of [2]ferrocenophanes with C-SI, C-P, and C-S bridges.
A series of novel [2]ferrocenophanes with unsymmetrical C-E bridges has been prepared in which the covalent radius of the second-row element, E, and hence the ring strain present is varied. Species [Fe(eta-C(5)Me(4))(eta-C(5)H(4))CH(2)ER(x)] (7, ER(x) = SiMe(2); 8a, ER(x) = PPh; 8b, ER(x) = PMes; 9, ER(x) = S) were synthesized via reaction of the PMDETA (N,N,N',N' ',N' '-pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) adduct of [(eta-C(5)H(4)Li)Fe(eta-C(5)Me(4))CH(2)Li] with Cl(2)ER(x) (E = Si or P) or S(SO(2)Ph)(2). Studies of 7-9 by single-crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed the presence of ring-tilted structures: for 7, alpha (angle between the planes of the Cp rings) = 11.8(1) degrees; for 8a, alpha(average) = 14.9(3) degrees; for 8b, alpha(average) = 18.2(2) degrees; and for 9, alpha = 18.5(1) degrees. The least tilted compound, 7, was found to be resistant to thermal, anionic, and transition metal catalyzed ROP. In contrast, the significantly more tilted compounds 8a, 8b, and 9 were all found to polymerize thermally with small negative values of DeltaH(ROP) of ca. 10-20 kJ.mol(-1) determined by DSC. Whereas thermal ROP of 8a yielded the soluble high molecular weight polycarbophosphaferrocene [(eta-C(5)Me(4))Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))CH(2)PPh](n) (11), species 9 formed the insoluble polycarbothiaferrocene [(eta-C(5)Me(4))Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))CH(2)S](n) (14). Attempted anionic ROP of 8a and 9 with (n)BuLi was unsuccessful and treatment of 8a with CF(3)SO(3)Me resulted in the formation of the novel phosphonium salt [(eta-C(5)Me(4))Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))CH(2)PMePh][CF(3)SO(3)] (13), which was found to be resistant to thermal ROP as a result of its less strained structure (for 13, alpha = 11.4(7) degrees ). Treatment of 9 with CF(3)SO(3)Me or BF(3).Et(2)O resulted in the first example of cationic ROP for a transition metal-containing heterocycle to yield polycarbothiaferrocene 14. In the presence of excess 2,6-di-tert-butylpyridine as a selective proton trap, ROP of 9 was only observed with CF(3)SO(3)Me, and not BF(3).Et(2)O, which indicated that Me(+) and H(+) are the probable cationic initiators, respectively. Thermal copolymerization of 9 with trimethylene sulfide resulted in the isolation of the soluble, high molecular weight, random copolymer [(eta-C(5)Me(4))Fe(eta-C(5)H(4))CH(2)S](n)[(CH(2))(3)S](m), 15.
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Contribution from the Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3H6, Canada.
Nelson
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Fischer
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Jäkle
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Bartole
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Lough
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Manners
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