Associated metal alkoxides

Much work has been done on the structure of the metal alkoxides (49). The simple alkaU alkoxides have an ionic lattice and a layer stmcture, but alkaline earth alkoxides show more covalent character. The aluminum alkoxides have been thoroughly studied and there is no doubt as to their covalent nature the lower alkoxides are associated, even in solution and in the vapor phase. The degree of association depends on the bulkiness of the alkoxy group and can range from 2 to 4, eg, the freshly distilled isopropylate is trimeric (4) ... 

The problems associated with the synthesis and handling of chloropolymer were a major barrier to the development of these polymers until Allcock and Kugel found that chloropolymer could be obtained as a soluble, gel-free polymer If conversions were limited to less than fifty percent (3). Subsequent replacement of the chlorines with metal alkoxides or aryloxldes yielded organo-substituted polyphosphazenes which were both thermally and hydrolytically stable (4). 

Hydrolysis of metal alkoxides is the basis for the sol-gel method of preparation of oxide materials therefore, reactions of metal alkoxides with water in various solvents, and primarily in alcohols, may be considered as their most important chemical properties. For many years the sol-gel method was mosdy associated with hydrolysis of Si(OR)4, discussed in numerous original papers and reviews [242, 1793,243]. Hydrolysis of M(OR) , in contrast to hydrolysis of Si(OR)4, is an extremely quick process therefore, the main concepts well developed for Si(OR)4 cannot be applied to hydrolysis of alcoholic derivatives of metals. Moreover, it proved impossible to apply classical kinetic approaches successfully used for the hydrolysis of Si(OR)4 to the study of the hydrolysis of metal alkoxides. A higher coordination number of metals in their alcoholic derivatives in comparison with Si(OR)4 leads to the high tendency to oligomerization of metal alkoxides in their solutions prior to hydrolysis step as well as to the continuation of this process of oligomerization and polymerization after first steps of substitution of alkoxide groups by hydroxides in the course of their reactions with water molecules. This results in extremely complicated oligomeric and polymeric structures of the metal alkoxides hydrolysis products. 

Most coordination catalysts have been reported to be formed in binary or ternary component systems consisting of an alkylmetal compound and a protic compound. Catalysts formed in such systems contain associated multinuclear species with a metal (Mt)-heteroatom (X) active bond ( >Mt X Mt—X > or — Mt—X—Mt—X— Mt = Al, Zn, Cd and X = 0, S, N most frequently) or non-associated mononuclear species with an Mt X active bond (Mt = Al, Zn and X = C1, O, S most frequently). Metal alkyls, such as triethylaluminium, diethylzinc and diethylcadmium, without pretreatment with protic compounds, have also been reported as coordination polymerisation catalysts. In such a case, the metal heteroatom bond active in the propagation step is formed by the reaction of the metal-carbon bond with the coordinating monomer. Some coordination catalysts, such as those with metal alkoxide or phenoxide moieties, can be prepared in other ways, without using metal alkyls. There are also catalysts consisting of a metal alkoxide or related compound and a Lewis acid [1]. 

The use of DMSO in recent studies has been largely upon the premise that the problem of base association would be avoided. Some doubt as to the validity of this assumption arises when the results of a conductometric study are considered (Exner and Steiner, 1974). Ion-pairing constants for lithium, sodium, potassium and cesium t-butoxide in DMSO have been evaluated as 108, 106, 270 and 200 M-1 respectively. Not only do these results suggest that there is base association in DMSO but they also imply that base-catalysed reactions involving alkali metal alkoxides in DMSO should be affected by the nature of the cation. If these conclusions are valid and if the possible involvement of the dimsyl anion in these reactions is also taken into consideration, then the choice of DMSO to remove the problem of base association can be a poor one, especially if the base is a lithium or sodium salt of a hindered alkoxide. It is far better to avoid association effects by the use of crown ethers (Bartsch et al., 1973, 1974, 1975). On the other hand, the use of lithium and potassium t-butoxide in DMSO solvent might aid in distinguishing reactivities of free ions and of ion pairs in certain processes. 

Table 5) [28], and heteroatom Diels-Alder reactions (Sch. 50) [79,80] but no X-ray structure had ever been reported for it or for the 3,3 -disubstituted derivatives which were first introduced as an asymmetric Claisen catalyst [24-27]. Although compound 435 was found not to induce any reaction between cyclohexenone and phosphonate 425 under the standard conditions for catalyst 428, consistent with the proposed equilibrium of species 394, 431, 432, 433, and 434 is the finding that catalysis of the reactions between cyclohexenone or cyclopentenone and phosphonate 425 with a 2 1 mixture of 434 (M = Li) and 435 gave only the Michael adducts 426 and 427 in 96 % ee and 92 % ee, respectively. Because 394 and 432 are inactive catalysts and 434 results in much lower induction and some 1,2-adduct, it was proposed that the active catalyst in the Michael addition of phosphonate 425 to cyclohexenone was the species 431 resulting from association of ALB catalyst with a metal alkoxide. It was proposed that the stereochemical determining step involved intramolecular transfer of the enolate of 425 to the coordinated cyclohexenone in species 436. 

Kinetic measurements may be complicated, since the metal alkoxides are often associated in solution, but a polar mechanism in which nucleophilic attack of X at atom is predominant appears to be most important ... 

The general properties of the significantly covalent behavior of metal alkoxides (both homo- and heterometallic), in spite of the polar character of the M5+—O5- bond, were already dealt with in some detail (6). The effect of steric and inductive factors on the extent of polarization of the M6+—O5- bond as well as the consequent degree of association and volatility can be exemplified by the boiling points (under 1-mm pressure) and the observed degrees of their association (given in parentheses) by the three isomeric butoxides of zirconium Zr(0-n-Bu)4 ( 250°C 3.5) Zr(0-sec-Bu)4 ( 150°C 2.0 Zr(0-/-Bu)4 ( 50°C 1.0). However, the similarities in the molecular association of the neopentyloxides of Ti, Zr, and A1 to the secondary rather than primaiy amy-loxides have been adduced to indicate the higher predominance of steric rather than inductive factors in the above directions. Similarly, the insolubility and... 

As mentioned already, the associated nature of metal alkoxides could be ascribed to the tendency of the central metal atom for achieving a higher co-... 

In addition to the use of heterometal alkoxides, metal alkoxides are often associated with more easily available precursors such as acetates for the SG route to multicomponent oxides. A number of such alkoxide acetate precursors [e.g., MNb2(/i-OAc)2(/i-OR)4(OR)6 (M = Cd or Mg), PbZr3(/t4-0)(/i-0Ac)2(/i-OR)5(OR)5, and Gd2Zr6(/i4-O)2(pi-OAc)6(/t-OR)l0(OR)i0 (with R = i-Pr)] were characterized (564) by X-ray crystallography. Their hydrolytic studies indicate their potential use as precursors for the synthesis of electrooptical materials, for example, Pb(ScNb)03 (PSN), and dielectric ceramics, for example, [PbMg1/3Nb2/303] (PNM). 

M = Li, Na, K, TI(I)3 Although they allow control of the stoichiometry between the M and M, metals, they have not been much developed so far for species-associating metals involved in electrooptical ceramics. They are mostly limited to the use of the complex alkoxide anion Zr2(OiPr)9, and La-Zr species were recently built up by this route [87]. In contrast with the preceding synthetic routes based on mixing simple compounds, Eq. (19) implies the prior synthesis of a heterometallic alkoxide based on an alkali metal and further removal of the salt. 

---