Exploring Long Range para-Phenyl Effects in Unsymmetrically Fused bis(imino)pyridine-Cobalt Ethylene Polymerization Catalysts

Unsymmetrical 11-phenyl-1,2,3,7,8,9,10-heptahydrocyclohepta[b]quinoline-4,6-dione, incorporating a para-phenyl substituted pyridine unit fused by both 6- and 7-membered carbocyclic rings, has been prepared on the gram-scale via a multi-step procedure involving cyclization, hydrogenation and oxidation. Templating this diketone, in the presence of cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate, with the corresponding aniline afforded in good yield five examples of doubly fused bis(arylimino)pyridine-cobalt(II) chlorides, Co1 (aryl = 2,6-dimethylphenyl), Co2 (2,6-diethylphenyl), Co3 (2,6-diisopropylphenyl), Co4 (2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) and Co5 (2,6-diethyl-4-methylphenyl). Structural characterization of Co1, Co2 and Co3 highlights the flexible nature of the inequivalent fused rings on the NNN’-ligand and the skewed disposition of the para-phenyl group. On activation with MAO, Co1–Co5 exhibited high activity for ethylene polymerization at 30 °C (up to 5.66 × 106 g (PE) mol−1 (Co) h−1) with the relative order being as follows: Co4 > Co1 > Co5 > Co3 > Co2. All polyethylenes were strictly linear, while their molecular weights and dispersities showed some notable variations. For Co1, Co2, Co4 and Co5, all polymerizations were well controlled as evidenced by the narrow dispersities of their polymers (Mw/Mn range: 1.8–2.7), while their molecular weights (Mw range: 2.9–10.9 kg mol−1) steadily increased in line with the greater steric properties of the N-aryl ortho-substituents. By contrast, the most hindered 2,6-diisopropyl counterpart Co3 displayed a broad distribution with bimodal characteristics (Mw/Mn = 10.3) and gave noticeably higher molecular weight polymer (Mw = 75.5 kg mol−1). By comparison, the MMAO-activated catalysts were generally less active, but showed similar trends in molecular weight and polymer dispersity. End group analysis of selected polymers via 13C and 1H NMR spectroscopy revealed the presence of both saturated and unsaturated polyethylenes in accordance with competing chain transfer pathways. Notably, when comparing Co3/MAO with its non-phenyl substituted analogue (E2,6-iPr2Ph)CoCl2/MAO, the former, though less controlled, displayed higher activity and molecular weight, a finding that points towards a role played by the remote para-phenyl group.