Tridentate pyrrolylzinc compounds: Synthesis, structures, reactivities and catalytic cyclotrimerization reaction of isocyanate

• A series of tridentate pyrrolylzinc compounds were synthesized.
• Their structures were characterized by NMR, elemental analysis and X-ray study.
• Those compounds as catalysts for cyclotrimerization of isocyanates have been investigated.

The reactions of ZnEt2 with NNN-tridentate pincer type pyrrolyl ligands, 2,5-bis((dimethylamino)methylene)-1H-pyrrole (HL1), 2,5-bis((pyrrolidin-1-yl)methylene)-1H-pyrrole (HL2) and 2,5-bis((piperidino)methylene)-1H-pyrrole (HL3), afford zinc ethyl compounds [C4H2N(2,5-CH2NMe2)2]ZnC2H5 (1), [C4H2N(2,5-CH2N(CH2)4)2]ZnC2H5 (2), and [C4H2N(2,5-CH2N(CH2)5)2]ZnC2H5 (3) in high yield. Subjecting 1, 2, 3 with one equivalent of tert-butylphenol in THF generated {[C4H2N(2,5-CH2NMe2)2]Zn(O–C6H4-4-tBu)}2 (4), {[C4H2N(2,5-CH2N(CH2)4)2]Zn(O–C6H4-4-tBu)}2 (5), {[C4H2N(2,5-CH2N(CH2)5)2]Zn(O–C6H4-4-tBu)}2 (6), respectively. Each has been characterized by satisfactory C, H and N microanalysis, NMR spectroscopy at ambient temperature, and single crystal X-ray structural analysis. The compounds Et6Zn6O2[C4H2N(2,5-CH2N(CH2)4)2]2 (7) and Et6Zn6O2[C4H2N(2,5-CH2N(CH2)5)2]2 (8) obtained accidentally from zinc ethyl compounds with traces of water. Each of compound 1–6 has been used as initiator for cyclotrimerization of isocyanate, and the organozinc compound 3 shows moderate reactivity toward the cyclotrimerization of isocyanate in Et2O solvent under mild conditions.

A series of zinc complexes containing monoanionic tridentate pyrrolyl ligands have been prepared in good yield and characterized by microanalysis, multinuclear NMR ambient temperature solution spectra and X-ray molecular structures. Each of the complexes exhibited moderate to good catalytic activity for cyclotrimerization of isocyanates under mild condition.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slide