Ruthenium Ring‐Opening Metathesis Polymerization Catalysts Bearing o‐ Aryloxide‐N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes

Abstract

AbstractA series of o‐aryloxide‐N‐heterocyclic carbene ruthenium complexes 2–4 is synthesized via sequential reactions of the o‐hydroxyaryl imidazolium proligands (2‐OH‐3,5‐tBu2C6H2)(R)(C3H3N2)+Br− (R = Me (1a), iPr (1b), Mes (1c)) with Ag2O and [(C6H6)RuCl2]2. All of the complexes are characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy, high‐resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), and elemental analysis. The molecular structure of 2 is determined by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The ring‐opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of norbornene (NBE) with 2–4 is studied. Among them, complex 4 exhibits the highest activity and efficiency toward ROMP of NBE at 85 °C without any cocatalyst, and the resultant polymers have very high molecular weight (>106 Da) and narrow molecular weight distributions. This complex can also efficiently catalyze the alternating copolymerization of NBE and cyclooctene.