A variety of iron complexes bearing tridentate pyridine based ligands are presented as highly active
precatalysts for the oligomerization and polymerization of ethene and propene. The ligands comprise
two classes: the first class, where both ketone groups of the 2,6-diacetylpyridine are converted to imines
to give symmetrical or unsymmetrical bis(imino)pyridines (NNN ligands; 1−4, 8, and 9), and the second
class, where only one keto function of the 2,6-diacetylpyridine is substituted by an imine to give
monoiminoacetylpyridines (NNO or MIAP ligands; 5−7). The NNN ligands have been reacted with
FeCl2·4H2O to afford the corresponding metal complexes (12−17). These complexes have been activated
by modified methylaluminoxane (MMAO) and tested in the oligomerization and polymerization reaction
of ethene and propene. Depending on the steric bulk of the ortho substituents at the aryl group of the
imines, tunable polymerization products are observed, with molecular weights (M
w) of 102−106. Using
the MIAP ligands, complexes of Co(II), Cr(II), Fe(II), Mn(II), and Ni(II) (18−24) have been prepared.
The solid-state X-ray structures of the square-pyramidal {2-acetyl-6-[1-((2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino)ethyl]pyridine}metal halide complexes 18, 21, and 22b (M = Co(II), Fe(II), Ni(II)) have been compared.
Additionally, the solid-state structure of {2,6-bis[1-(1-biphenylimino)ethyl]pyridine}iron(II) chloride (15)
is presented. All ligands and complexes have been characterized by spectroscopic methods, mass spectra,
and elemental analysis.