Group 4 complexes of salicylbenzoxazole ligands as effective catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of lactides, epoxides and copolymerization of ε-caprolactone with L-lactide

The potential energy surface of the reaction [(eta5-C5MenH5-n)2M]2(micro2,eta2,eta2-N2) + H2 --> [(eta5-C5MenH5-n)2M][(eta5-C5MenH5-n)2MH](micro2,eta2,eta2-NNH) at low-lying singlet and triplet electronic states of the reactants was investigated using density functional methods, for n = 0 and 4, and M = Ti, Zr, and Hf. Ground electronic states of the Ti complexes are found to be triplet states, while that for the corresponding Zr and Hf complexes are singlet states. In their singlet state, all these complexes satisfy known necessary conditions (they have a side-on-coordinated N2 molecule and appropriate frontier orbitals) for successful addition of an H2 molecule to the coordinated N2, and consequently, add of an H2 molecule with a reasonable energy barrier. Hf complexes show slightly higher reactivity than corresponding Zr complexes, and in turn, both are more reactive than their singlet-state Ti counterparts. The calculated trend in reactivity of Zr and Hf complexes is consistent with the latest experimental data (see refs 13 and 16). However, Ti complexes have the ground triplet state that lacks in appropriate frontier orbitals. As a result, H2 addition to the Ti complexes at their triplet ground states requires a larger activation barrier than the singlet state and is endothermic (lacks of driven force for reaction). On the basis of these results, we predict that the [(eta5-C5Me4H)2M]2(micro2,eta2,eta2-N2) and [(eta5-C5H5)2M]2(micro2,eta2,eta2-N2) complexes cannot react with an H2 molecule for M = Ti, while those for M = Zr and Hf can. It was shown that the difference in the B3LYP (hybrid) and PBE (nonhybrid) calculated energy gaps between the lowest closed-shell singlet and triplet states of the present complexes reduces via first- > second- > third-row transition metals; both hybrid and nonhybrid density functionals can be safely used to describe reactivity of the low-lying low-spin and high-spin states of second- and third-row transition metal complexes.

Ring-opening copolymerization of maleic anhydride or L-Lactide with tert-butyl glycidyl ether by using efficient Ti and Zr benzoxazole-substituted 8-Hydroxyquinolinate catalysts

Octahedral group 4 bisphenolate ether complexes, activated by methylaluminoxane, are highly active and stereospecific alpha-olefin polymerization catalysts. X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals the Zr and Hf complexes to be closely isostructural; the bond lengths of the Hf complex are slightly shorter, but the maximum deviation is only 0.062 A. Despite the structural similarity of the Hf and Zr complexes, the Hf complexes generate more highly stereoselective catalysts. In addition to the influence of the transition metal, the structure of the ligand has a large influence on the stereospecificity. Bis-tert-butyl phenyl substituted complexes of Hf and Zr, when activated by MAO at 50-80 degrees C, generate high molecular weight polypropylene (M(n) = 130,000-360,000 g/mol) with isotacticities [mmmm] > 97% and melting points as high as 165 degrees C.

In this paper we present a computational study of ligand interactions with hafnium and zirconium metal complexes which occur in the liquid-liquid extraction of these metals from their aqueous solutions. Separation of Hf and Zr has been a challenge in liquid-liquid extraction technologies and the existing methodologies, namely the MIBK (methyl isobutyl ketone) process, are used to extract hafnium into the organic phase while on the contrary the TBP (tributyl phosphate) process is used to extract Zr into the organic phase. Understanding the actual interactions taking place, including an estimate of the binding energies and conformations of the guest-host system of the metal complexes and the solvents, would help us to design better and safer extractants. Recent studies in the literature have shown that the quantum chemical based DFT methods have proven to be good tools for such types of studies. Thus in this work we have carried out high-level DFT studies using the hybrid B3LYP/Lanl2dz and BLYP/TZP (with the relativistic corrections) on tetravalent Hf and Zr metal complexes interacting with neutral ligands and compared the results to the experimental observations. These studies show that at the molecular level it is the Hf complex that has larger interaction energy with the ligands, thus indicating that in the mixture of Hf and Zr complexes in solutions which are not complicated by aggregation and polymerization, Hf would be extracted preferably into the organic solvent, in agreement with the experimental observation. We conclude from this study that primary interaction energies (gas-phase stabilization) are sufficient to significantly discriminate Hf and Zr complexes and thus can be used to explain Hf and Zr separation.

2,2′-Bis(methylene)biphenylidene-bridged bis(3-indenyl) dichloride complexes of Ti, Zr and Hf as catalyst precursors for ethylene polymerization

Olefin polymerization behavior of bis(phenoxy-imine) Zr, Ti, and V complexes with MgCl2-based cocatalysts

Ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is a class of high-performance engineering plastics, exhibiting a unique set of properties and applications. Although many advances have been achieved in recent years, the synthesis of UHMWPE is still a great challenge. In this contribution, a series of zirconium and hafnium complexes, [2,6-(R1)2-4-R2-C6H2-N-C(camphyl)=C(camphyl)-N-2,6-(R1)2-4-R2-C6H2]MMe2(THF) (1-Zr: R1 = Me, R2 = H, M = Zr; 2-Zr: R1 = Me, R2 = Me, M = Zr; 1-Hf: R1 = Me, R2 = H, M = Hf; 2-Hf: R1 = Me, R2 = Me, M = Hf), bearing bidentate NN ligands with the bulky camphyl backbone were synthesized by the stoichiometric reactions of α-diimine ligands with MMe4 (M = Hf or Zr). All Zr and Hf metal complexes were analyzed using 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures of complexes 1-Zr and 1-Hf were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing that the original α-diimine ligand was selectively reduced into the ene-diamido form and generated an 1,3-diaza-2-metallocyclopentene ring in the metal complexes. Zr complexes 1-Zr and 2-Zr showed moderate activity (up to 388 kg(PE)·mol−1(M)·h−1), poor copolymerization ability, but unprecedented molecular weight capability toward ethylene/1-octene copolymerization. Therefore, copolymers with ultrahigh molecular weights (>600 or 337 × 104 g∙mol−1) were successfully synthesized by 1-Zr or 2-Zr, respectively, with the borate cocatalyst [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4]. Surprisingly, Hf complexes 1-Hf and 2-Hf showed negligible activity under otherwise identical conditions, revealing the great influence of metal centers on catalytic performances.

Catalytic thermal and photo-induced CH and CC activation reactions of alkanes with ansa amido functionalized half-sandwich complexes and methylalumoxane

Chloride complexation of the group-4 elements Zr and Hf in 8.0–11.9 M HCl is investigated by extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopy to characterize chloro complexes of the transactinide element, rutherfordium (Rf). The complexes of Zr and Hf successively vary with the concentration of HCl from a hydrated complex [M(H2O)8]4+ at 8.0 M to a hexachloro complex [MCl6]2− at 11.9 M (M = Zr and Hf). The present structural changes of the Zr and Hf complexes well reflect the previously studied anion-exchange behavior of Zr and Hf in HCl. From both the EXAFS and anion-exchange results, we suggest that Rf forms the same complexes as those of Zr and Hf in HCl, and that the complexation strength of the hexachloro complexes of the group-4 elements, [MCl6]2− (M = Zr, Hf, and Rf), is in the sequence of Rf > Zr > Hf.

(MesitylNH-o-C6H4)2O (H2[MesNON]) has been synthesized in ∼70% yield, and several [MesNON]2- complexes of Ti, Zr, and Hf have been prepared, in particular a variety of dialkyl complexes, [MesNON]MR...

The development of homogeneous metal catalysts with high activity and high thermal stability is vital for the synthesis of polyolefin elastomers (POEs) in solution-phase olefin polymerization processes. In this contribution, the stoichiometric reactions of 8-(2,6-(R1)2-4-R2-anilide)-5,6,7-trihydroquinoline (1–3; 1, R1 = iPr, R2 = H; 2, R1 = Me, R2 = H; 3, R1 = Me, R2 = Me) with MMe4 (M = Hf, Zr) afforded metal complexes 1-HfMe3, 2-HfMe3, 3-HfMe3, and 1-ZrMe3 in high yields. Treatment of ligand 1 with Ti(NMe2)4 resulted in the formation of 1-Ti(NMe2)3, which reacted with SiMe2Cl2 to form 1-TiCl3. 1-TiMe3 was obtained by alkylation of 1-TiCl3 with MeMgBr. All metal complexes were characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, and the molecular structures of complexes 1-HfMe3, 2-HfMe3, 1-ZrMe3, and 1-TiMe3 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing an approximate trigonal-bipyramidal geometry around the metal center in all of the structures. The complexes showed extremely high activity toward ethylene polymerization (up to 13860 kg of PE (mol of M)−1 h–1) and ethylene/1-octene copolymerization (up to 49000 kg of PE (mol of M)−1 h–1) at elevated temperatures (up to 140 °C). The catalytic properties were highly dependent on the appropriate matching of the metal and cocatalyst. In the presence of [Ph3C][B(C6F5)4], the activity of metal complexes with the same ligand was in the order Hf > Zr > Ti; with B(C6F5)3 as the cocatalyst, this order followed Zr > Ti > Hf; using MAO as the cocatalyst, the Ti complex was highly active, while the Hf and Zr complexes were inactive. The Hf and Zr complexes showed both high-molecular-weight capability and high 1-octene incorporation ability. Therefore, high-molecular-weight polyethylene homopolymers and ethylene/1-octene elastomers were successfully prepared, and the 1-octene incorporations of copolymers could be readily tuned from 1.3 to 43.5 mol % depending on different catalysts and polymerization conditions.

The pursuit of high-performance catalysts in the realm of polyolefins is a constant goal. In this study, a range of zirconium (1-ZrCl3, 2-ZrCl3, 3-ZrCl4, 12-Zr) and hafnium (1-HfCl3, 12-Hf) complexes featuring phenoxy-imine-amine ONN-ligands (2,6-R2-C6H3-NH-C6H4-N═CH-C6H2-3,5-tBu2-OH; 1-L: R = H; 2-L: R = F; 3-L: R = iPr) were synthesized and characterized using NMR spectroscopy, as well as single-crystal X-ray diffraction for 2-ZrCl3, 3-ZrCl4, and 12-Zr. These Zr and Hf complexes exhibited remarkable efficiency for ethylene homopolymerization and copolymerization with 1-octene when paired with MAO as the cocatalyst. Notably, the Zr complexes outperformed the Hf complexes with the same ligand, underscoring the substantial impact of the metal center on catalytic performance. The substituents and coordination modes of the ligands also exerted significant influence on the catalytic behavior, affecting both the activity and properties of the resulting polymers. Particularly noteworthy was the exceptional activity of 1-ZrCl3, achieving activity as high as 6.30 × 108 g(PE)·mol-1(Zr)·h-1 for ethylene homopolymerization and generating bi- or multimodal distribution polyethylene. The activation of 1-ZrCl3 by 5 or 20 equiv of d-MAO afforded a dinuclear Zr complex bridged by two chlorides (μ-Cl2-(1-ZrCl2)2), which was analyzed and confirmed by in situ 1H NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.

A series of Ti(IV), Zr(IV) and Hf(IV) benzotriazole phenoxide (BTP) complexes were synthesized and characterized by various spectroscopic techniques, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography. The monosubstituted Zr(IV) BTP complexes [(μ-L)Zr(O(i)Pr)3]2 1-3 [L = (C1)BTP-H (1), (TCl)BTP-H (2), (pent)BTP-H (3)] and tetrasubstituted Zr(IV), Hf(IV) complexes ZrL4 4-6 [L = (C1)BTP-H (4), (TCl)BTP-H (5), (pent)BTP-H (6)] and HfL4 7-9 [L = (C1)BTP-H (7), (TCl)BTP-H (8), (pent)BTP-H (9)] were prepared by the reaction of Zr(O(i)Pr)4·((i)PrOH) and Hf(O(t)Bu)4 in toluene with the respective ligands in different stoichiometric proportions. The reaction between BTP and TiCl4 and ZrCl4 and HfCl4 in a 2 : 1 stoichiometric reaction resulted in the formation of disubstituted group IV chloride complexes L2MCl2 10-12 [L = (C1)BTP-H, M = Ti, Zr and Hf]. The molecular structures of complexes 1, 4, 7, 10, 11, and 12 were determined by single-crystal X-ray studies. The X-ray structure of 1 reveals a dimeric Zr(IV) complex containing a Zr2O2 core bridged through the oxygen atoms of the phenoxide groups. Each Zr atom is distorted from an octahedral symmetry. These complexes were found to be active towards the ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of L-lactide (L-LA) and rac-lactide (rac-LA). Complex 1 produced highly heterotactic poly(lactic acid) (PLA) from rac-LA under melt conditions with narrow molecular weight distributions (MWDs) and well controlled number average molecular weights (M(n)). Additionally, epoxide polymerizations using rac-cyclohexene oxide (CHO), rac-propylene oxide (PO), and rac-styrene oxide (SO) were also carried out with these complexes. The yield and molecular weight of the polymer was found to increase with the extension of reaction time. Compounds 1-12 were activated by methylaluminoxane (MAO) and show good activity for ethylene polymerization and produced high molecular weight polyethylene.

Despite their usefulness in catalytic and materials chemistry, the mixed cyclopentadienyl/alkoxide complexes of Ti, Zr, and Hf (Cp2M(OR)2) have few reliable synthetic routes available to them. We describe the use of mechanical ball milling to promote halide metathesis from Cp2MCl2, and compare these results to those obtained in hexanes and THF. Even without solvent, ring lability is extensive with titanium complexes, and alkoxide compounds with 0-3 Cp rings are isolated. The ball milling reactions are much faster than those in solution, but the distributions of products are similar to those obtained in hexanes, although different from those in THF. The range of compounds obtained from Zr and Hf starting materials is more limited, as Cp ring exchange does not occur.

The activation and cleavage of the N-N bond in side-on bound [L₂M-NN-ML₂] (L = NH₂, NMe₂, N(i)Pr₂, C₅H₅, C₅Me₄H) dinitrogen complexes of transition metals in groups 4 through 9 have been investigated using density functional theory. Emphasis has been placed on Ti, Zr, and Hf (group 4) complexes due to their experimental relevance. Calculations on these species have shown that for cases when the structural configuration corresponds to the terminal [ML₂] fragments adopting a perpendicular orientation with respect to the central [N-N] unit, a considerably higher degree of N-N activation is predicted relative to that observed in the experimentally characterized cyclopentadienyl analogues and in related systems involving end-on dinitrogen coordination. An examination of the orbital interactions between the metal-based fragments and the dinitrogen unit shows that both σ and π bonding are important in the side-on binding mode, in contrast to the end-on mode where metal-nitrogen π interactions are dominant. This analysis also reveals that the model amide systems possess the orbital properties identified as necessary for successful N-N hydrogenation. A significant result obtained for the amide complexes containing metals from groups 5 (V, Nb, Ta), 6 (Cr, Mo, W), and 7 (Mn, Tc, Re), is the presence of metal-metal bonding in configurations that are considerably distorted from planarity. As a consequence, these complexes exhibit strongly enhanced stability relative to species where metal-metal bonding is absent. In contrast, the d² metal-based configurations in the group 4 complexes of Ti, Zr, and Hf are unable to provide the six electrons required for complete reductive cleavage of the dinitrogen unit which is necessary to allow the metal centres to approach one another sufficiently for metal-metal bond formation.