Synthesis and Ethylene Reactivity of Dinuclear Iron and Cobalt Complexes Supported by Macrocyclic Bis(pyridine-diimine) Ligands Containing o-Terphenyl Linkers

The synthesis and ethylene reactivity of a new family of dinuclear Co2Br4 and Fe2Br4 complexes supported by binucleating macrocyclic bis(pyridine-diimine) (PDI) ligands that contain 4,4″-R2-3,3″-o-terphenyl linkers (1, R = H; 2, R = Me; 3, R = iPr) are described. In the solid state, (1–3)M2Br4 (M = Zn, Fe, Co) adopt Cs-skew-syn structures in which the (PDI)M planes are skewed 49–82° relative to each other and both middle rings of the o-terphenyl bridges are on the same side of the molecule. The metal–metal distances range between 5.7600(8) and 6.232(1) Å. In solution, (1)M2Br4 (M = Zn, Co, Fe) undergo a fluxional process that permutes the two inequivalent (PDI)M units, while (2)M2Br4 and (3)M2Br4 are static and adopt Cs-symmetric structures similar to those observed in the solid state. Activation of (2)Fe2Br4 and (3)Fe2Br4 with MMAO-12 or triisobutylaluminum (TIBA) in the presence of ethylene generates catalysts that produce solid polyethylene (Mw = 4500–280000 Da), which contrasts with the reported production of α-olefins by analogous mononuclear (PDI)FeCl2 catalysts. (3)Fe2Br4/TIBA and (3)Fe2Br4/MMAO-12 produce polyethylenes with broad molecular weight distributions (MWDs) due to chain transfer to Al. (3)Co2Br4/1000 TIBA and (3)Co2Br4/1000 MMAO-12 also produce polyethylenes with broad MWDs. However, in these cases chain transfer to Al is not operative and the broad MWDs result from multisite behavior.