Osmium complexes monomers

These neutral Ru(II)- and Os(II)-complexes are well soluble in a broad range of solvents as well as in the pure monomers. Osmium complexes of the type [Os(p-cymene)Cl2(PR3)] C2 do not initiate the thermal polymerization of norbornene (NBE). However, they can be activated by UV irradiation (200W Hg-lamp, 5 min). With the sterically demanding phosphine ligands PCys and P/Pr3 active photocatalysts are obtained, whereas for the complexes with less bulky phosphines (PPh3, P/1BU3) no or a very slow polymerization is observed. 

Diols are applied on a multimilhon ton scale as antifreezing agents and polyester monomers (ethylene and propylene glycol) [58]. In addition, they are starting materials for various fine chemicals. Intimately coimected with the epoxidation-hydrolysis process, dihydroxylation of C=C double bonds constitutes a shorter and more atom-efficient route to 1,2-diols. Although considerable advancements in the field of biomimetic nonheme complexes have been achieved in recent years, still osmium complexes remain the most efficient and reliable catalysts for dihydroxylation of olefins (reviews [59]). 

The example considered is the redox polymer, [Os(bpy)2(PVP)ioCl]Cl, where PVP is poly(4-vinylpyridine) and 10 signifies the ratio of pyridine monomer units to metal centers. Figure 5.66 illustrates the structure of this metallopolymer. As discussed previously in Chapter 4, thin films of this material on electrode surfaces can be prepared by solvent evaporation or spin-coating. The voltammetric properties of the polymer-modified electrodes made by using this material are well-defined and are consistent with electrochemically reversible processes [90,91]. The redox properties of these polymers are based on the presence of the pendent redox-active groups, typically those associated with the Os(n/m) couple, since the polymer backbone is not redox-active. In sensing applications, the redox-active site, the osmium complex in this present example, acts as a mediator between a redox-active substrate in solution and the electrode. In this way, such redox-active layers can be used as electrocatalysts, thus giving them widespread use in biosensors. 

Dendrimers can be constructed from chemical species other than purely organic monomers. For example, they can be built up from metal branching centres such as ruthenium or osmium with multidentate ligands. The resulting molecules are known as metallodendrimers. Such molecules can retain their structure by a variety of mechanisms, including complexation, hydrogen bonding and ionic interactions. 

In the first step, the precursor, typically a ruthenium or osmium bis(2,2,-bipyridyl) (bpy) complex, reacts with solvent (S) to produce a solvated complex. When solvents such as dry methanol and ethanol are used, only one chloride is exchanged and the species [Ru(bpy)2(PVP) Cl]+ is obtained as the sole product. The nature of the coordination sphere around the metal center can be determined by UV-visible (UV/Vis) spectroscopy (Xmax, 496 nm) and by its redox potential, (about 0.65 V (vs. SCE), depending on the electrolyte being used). By a systematic variation of the ratio of monomer units to redox-active centers, the loading of the polymer backbone ( n) can be varied systematically. (Here, n stands for the number of monomer units in the polymer per redox-active center, e.g. in a PVP-based, n = 10 polymer, there are 10 pyridine units for every redox center. 

Concentration and temperature inversion of the catalytic properties of gold, platinum, osmium, and palladium chlorides at thermal and initiated polymerization of styrene and MMA has been discovered. The mechanism of ambiguous action of noble metal salts is caused by the competition of the initiating inOrence of monomer complexes with colloidal metal particles and the inhibition reaction proceeding by ligand transfer. 

---