Iron(III) complexes of bidentate nitrogen ligands as catalysts in reverse atom transfer radical polymerization of styrene

Three iron(III) complexes of bidentate nitrogen ligands, namely 3,5-dimethyl-bispyrazolylmethane (bpzm), 2,2′-dipyridyl (bipy) and 1,1-bis(4,4-dimethyl-1,3-oxazolyn-2-yl)-ethane (box), have been tested in atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of styrene at 120 °C using the 1,1,2,2-tetraphenyl-1,2-ethanediol (TPED) initiator under reverse protocol. Good control of the polymerization reaction and narrow average molecular weight distribution (PDI) have been found for the TPED/FeCl3/box catalyst whereas TPED/FeCl3/bpzm and TPED/FeCl3/bipy produce linear dependence of Mnvs polymerization time but PDI values broader than that expected for a controlled mechanism.Attempts to clarify the performances of these catalysts were carried out, evaluating the formation constants βIII and the electrochemical parameters E1/2 of the FeCl3/L adducts (L = bpzm; bipy; box) by means of UV–vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, respectively.A regular increase of both βIII and E1/2 values was observed as the Lewis basic properties of the ligands increase in the order bpzm < bipy < box. The best performances of the FeCl3/box catalyst have been thus attributed to the highest formation constant that produce easy and reversible reduction of the iron(III) metal centre to the corresponding iron(II). Lower reducibility and reversibility were found for the iron(III)/iron(II) redox couple in FeCl3/bipy and FeCl3/bpzm in agreement with the modest performances in ATRP of styrene of these complexes.

Graphical abstractFeCl3/bpzm, FeCl3/bipy and FeCl3/box have been tested in reverse ATRP of styrene. The comparative study of the electrochemical properties and of the formation constants of these adducts permitted to rationalize the higher control observed in the radical polymerization catalyzed by FeCl3/box.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide