Zirconium−Benzyl Complexes of a Tridentate <i>C</i>₂-Symmetric Dialkoxo Ligand. Diastereoselectivity of Olefin Single-Insertion Reactions

Abstract

Complexes such as Zr(BMP)(CH2Ph)[(η6-PhCH2)B(C6F5)3] (BMP2- = 2,6-bis[(1S,2S,5R)-(−)-menthoxo]pyridyl) were synthesized and shown to undergo single insertion of ethylene into their Zr−carbon bonds to yield, for example, Zr(BMP)(CH2CH2CH2Ph)][(η6-PhCH2)B(C6F5)3], whereas α-olefins and cyclooctadiene afford diastereomeric mixtures of the general formula [Zr(BMP)(η1:η6-CHRCHR‘CH2Ph)]+[B(CH2Ph)(C6F5)3]-.