Rare-earth metal bis(alkyl)s that bear a 2-pyridinemethanamine ligand: dual catalysis of the polymerizations of both isoprene and ethylene.
New pyridinemethanamido-ligated rare-earth metal bis(alkyl) complexes [C(5)H(4)N-CH(Me)-NC(6)H(3)((i)Pr)(2)]Ln(CH(2)SiMe(3))(2)(THF) (Ln = Sc (1), Y (2), Lu (3)) have been prepared at 0 °C via a protonolysis reaction between rare-earth metal tris(alkyl)s and the corresponding 2-pyridinemethanamine ligand and fully characterized by NMR and X-ray diffraction analysis. Bis(alkyl) complexes 1-3 are analogous monomers of THF solvate, where the ligand bonds to the metal center in a κN:κN-bidentate mode. Complexes 1-3, in combination with [Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)], showed a good activity towards isoprene polymerization to give polyisoprene with a main 3,4-selectivity (60%-66%); in particular the yttrium catalyst system, 2/[Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)], displayed a living mode. By contrast, only the precatalyst 2 exhibited activity for isoprene polymerization in the presence of [PhNMe(2)H][B(C(6)F(5))(4)]. The influence of alkylaluminium (AlR(3), R = Me, Et, (i)Bu) and the metal center on the polymerization of isoprene was also studied, and it was found that addition of AlMe(3) to the catalyst systems could lead to a dramatic change in the microstructure of the polymer from 3,4-specific to 1,4-selective (89%-95%), but the ionic radius of the central metal had little influence on the selectivity. In addition, by using the 1(Sc)/[Ph(3)C][B(C(6)F(5))(4)]/10 Al(i)Bu(3), the polymerization of ethylene was also achieved with moderate activity (up to 3.2× 10(5) g (PE) mol(Sc)(-1) h(-1) bar(-1)) and narrow polydispersity (M(w)/M(n) = 1.19-1.28); while the effect of temperature on the activity was discussed. Such dual catalysis for the polymerizations of both isoprene and ethylene is rare.
State Key Laboratory of Polymer Physics and Chemistry, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 5625 Renmin Street, Changchun, 130022, China.
Zhongbao
Z
Jian
Dongmei
D
Cui