Polymerization of acrylate monomers with MAO activated iron(II) and cobalt(II) complexes bearing tri- and tetradentate nitrogen ligands

Octahedral iron(II) and cobalt(II) based complexes, [N,N′-di(quinoline-2-methylene)-1,2-phenylenediimine]MCl2, and [N,N′-di(quinoline-2-methylene)diiminocyclohexane]MCl2 (M = Co and Fe), bearing tetradentate diimino nitrogen ligands were prepared and used in tert-butylacrylate (t-BA) polymerization after activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO). In general, polyacrylates with high molar mass and narrow molar mass distribution (MMD ≈ 2) were obtained. In order to understand the influence of the ligand on the polymerization process, polymerization behaviour of the hexacoordinated complexes was compared to pentacoordinated iron(II) and cobalt(II) complexes, 2,6-bis[1-(cyclohexylimido)ethyl]pyridine MCl2 (M = Co and Fe), bearing tridentate diimine nitrogen ligands as well as to free iron(II) chloride. The ability of the MAO activated hexacoordinated complexes to polymerize methylacrylate (MA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA) was also considered, but reduced activities as well as lower molar mass polymers were obtained than in the experiments with t-BA.