Dinuclear Rare‐Earth Metal Alkyl Complexes Supported by Indolyl Ligands in μ‐η²:η¹:η¹ Hapticities and their High Catalytic Activity for Isoprene 1,4‐<i>cis</i>‐Polymerization

Abstract

Two series of new dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes supported by indolyl ligands in novel μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) hapticities are synthesized and characterized. Treatment of [RE(CH2 SiMe3 )3 (thf)2 ] with 1 equivalent of 3-(tBuN=CH)C8 H5 NH (L1 ) in THF gives the dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes trans-[(μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) -3-{tBuNCH(CH2 SiMe3 )}Ind)RE(thf)(CH2 SiMe3 )]2 (Ind=indolyl, RE=Y, Dy, or Yb) in good yields. In the process, the indole unit of L1 is deprotonated by the metal alkyl species and the imino C=N group is transferred to the amido group by alkyl CH2 SiMe3 insertion, affording a new dianionic ligand that bridges two metal alkyl units in μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) bonding modes, forming the dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes. When L1 is reduced to 3-(tBuNHCH2 )C8 H5 NH (L2 ), the reaction of [Yb(CH2 SiMe3 )3 (thf)2 ] with 1 equivalent of L2 in THF, interestingly, generated the trans-[(μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) -3-{tBuNCH2 }Ind)Yb(thf)(CH2 SiMe3 )]2 (major) and cis-[(μ-η(2) :η(1) :η(1) -3-{tBuNCH2 }Ind)Yb(thf)(CH2 SiMe3 )]2 (minor) complexes. The catalytic activities of these dinuclear rare-earth metal alkyl complexes for isoprene polymerization were investigated; the yttrium and dysprosium complexes exhibited high catalytic activities and high regio- and stereoselectivities for isoprene 1,4-cis-polymerization.