Homoleptic yttrium complexes

Lanthanide-based catalysts, despite finding a lot of application in homogeneous catalysis, can be rather problematic due to the lability of some ligand types and the versatility of their coordination chemistry in the -1-3 oxidation state this makes the controlled synthesis of single-site Ln complexes a quite ambitious goal [92]. McLain and coworkers first demonstrated the high potential of a homoleptic yttrium complex Y(OCH2CH2NMe2)3 as ROP catalyst for the preparation of PLA from rac-lactide and that it promotes a rapid and controlled polymerization... 

A homoleptic bulky a,y-diketonate yttrium complex (fod = 1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-7,7-dimethyl-4,6-octanedionate) was immobihzed on MCM-41.280 ( s = 1140m g, Vp = 0.93 cm g, dp = 2.7 nm) and a monopodaUy anchored surface species 6 has been proposed (Scheme 12.5). As suggested by FTIR (strong band for the Si-OH stretch vibration) as well as metal and carbon analysis (circa 3.4 wt% Y, fod/Y circa 2) only around half of the silanol population has been consumed [110]. 

The first reports of LA ROP using yttrium complexes focused on homoleptic alkoxide complexes, such as cluster complexes of the form Ln5(p-0)(0R)i3 [27]. A patent, and preprint, published by DuPont described the application of a homoleptic yttrium alkoxide, Y(OCH2CH2NMe2)3, formed in situ by reaction of yttrium fm-Ao-propoxide with ALV-dimethy I am i noethanol. The complex showed a very high rate (kob = 0.5 s 1, [Y]0 = 3 mM) and reasonable polymerization control [28]. 

Stevels et al. studied homoleptic yttrium aryloxide complexes (Fig. 9) [29]. The complexes were rather slow initiators however, in the presence of isopropanol, the rate was accelerated and the polymerization control was excellent. 

Arnold and colleagues have reported a series of chiral homoleptic yttrium and lanthanide fra(alkoxide) complexes [49, 50], These initiators (including complex 1) show high degrees of iso-selectivity and rapid rates, even at low temperatures. Thus, using the racemic mixture of the lanthanide initiator, stereoblock PLA was produced with a P, of 0.81 so far, this is the only known type of yttrium initiator able to exert such stereocontrol and a very exciting finding. Analysis of the stereoerrors indicates that an enantiomorphic site control mechanism is responsible for the iso-selectivity. 

The influence of steric factors was thoroughly studied in the reaction of Ln(btsa)3 with the alcohol tritox-H. While the reaction takes place with larger lanthanides like neodymium to yield the homoleptic alkoxide complexes (Eq. 18) [264], the analogous reaction does not work with smaller metals like yttrium and thulium (Eq. 19). However, variation of the reaction conditions to a stoichiometric solid reaction yielded a fully exchanged product along with an unexpected and unusual silylamine degradation [265] (Eq. 20). This degradation reaction seems to be sterically forced and points out N-Si bond disruptions and C-Si bond formations under mild conditions [114]. 

The coordination chemistry of the aminotroponiminates has been reviewed.139 A homoleptic aminotroponiminate complex of yttrium has been prepared and studied by X-ray crystallography and density functional theory calculations.140... 

Homoleptic lithium complexes [Li NNE 2]Cl (E = 0, S), containing Juc-coordinating NNE-donor hgands prepared from bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-l-yl)methanewith BuLi and alkyl- or aryl-containing isocyanates or isothiocyanates, have been used to synthesize a series of scandium and yttrium complexes. ... 

Otero A, Lara-Sanchez A, Femandez-Baeza J, et al. New achiral and chiral NNE heteroscorpionate ligands. Synthesis of homoleptic lithium complexes as well as halide and alkyl scandium and yttrium complexes. Dalton Trans. 2010 39 930-940. 

Okuda and Arnold have reported a series of 5- and 6-coordinate chiral indium complexes (e.g. 12), analogous to those previously discussed with yttrium (Table 4), which show varying activities for the polymerization of rac-lactide [71]. The homoleptic species was fluxional, interconverting between a 5-coordinate and fac- and mer-isomers of a 6-coordinate complex. It resulted in controlled polymerization and some stereoselectivity (max. P, = 0.63 and max. Ps = 0.64). MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry confirmed that the chiral alkoxide ligand was an initiating group. 

Synthetic strategies to alkoxide complexes have been covered in full by previous reviews [14]. The silylamide route proved to be an advantageous method of preparation, especially in the case of homoleptic derivatives [15]. The group (IIIA) elements - scandium, yttrium and lanthanum - are considered as lanthanides on the basis of their general chemical similarity to the true lanthanides. 

First structural evidence for the formation of heterobimetallic Ln/Al complexes in carboxylate-based catalytic systems was obtained from the reaction of homoleptic rare-earth metal trifluoroacetates with equimolar amounts of z -Bu2A1H and EtsAl, respectively [132], Alkylated yttrium, neodymium, and... 

In 1998, Kempe and coworkers [34] reported the first aminopyridinato rare-earth metal complexes. 4-Methyl-2-[(trimethylsilyl)amino]pyridine(HLl) was utilized in this complex. The reaction of lithiated LI and YCI3 in ether and pyridine led to the ate complex [Y(Ll)4(LiPy)] (Py = pyridine) (1). The complex 1 catalytically mediated a ligand transfer reaction to form [Pd(Ll)2] and [Y(Ll)3(py)] (2) from [Pd(cod)Cl2] (cod = cyclooctadiene). The LI ligand transfer from yttrium to palladium and the regeneration of 1 are significant in the efficient synthesis of the very strained amido palladium complexes (Scheme 2). Lithiated LI underwent a salt metathesis reaction with ScCb, at low temperature in THF, to yield the homoleptic complex [Sc(L1)3] (3) (Scheme 2). 3 is the first reported scandium aminopyridinato complex [35]. 

The promising results obtained with Sn(Oct)2, Al(Oi-Pr)3 and Zn(Lact)2 have stimulated the evaluation of a number of homoleptic complexes featuring alkoxy and carboxy ligands [2bj. As representative examples, trivalent yttrium and lanthanum alkoxides Ln(OR)3 (Ln = La, Y and R = i-Pr, n-Bu) have proved to be much more active than the related aluminum alkoxides, and to efficiently promote the... 

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