Zinc complexes chelated by bifunctional ketiminate ligands: Structure, reactivity and possible applications in initiation of ROP and copolymerization of epoxides with carbon dioxide

Bifunctional ketiminate zinc complexes were synthesized via alkyl or LiCl elimination route from appropriate zinc species (ZnCl2 or ZnEt2) and methoxyaryl substituted monoanionic ketimine {[2- or 3- or 4-(MeO)C6FH4]}N(H)C(Me)=CHC(Me)=O. Homo- or heteroleptic complexes were prepared and characterized by the help of multinuclear NMR spectroscopy techniques. One of the heteroleptic ethyl substituted zinc complexes - {kappa(2)-N,O-[(2-MeO)C6H4N=C(Me)-CH=C(Me)-O]ZnEt}(2) was selected for further reactivity experiments with alcohols and amines. Molecular structures of some products were determined by X-Ray diffraction methods showing di- or trinuclear arrangement in solid state caused by the presence of intramolecular zinc oxygen or zinc nitrogen bridges. {kappa(2)-N,O-[(2-MeO)C6H4N=C(Me)-CH=C(Me)-O]ZnEt}(2) was also screened for of its catalytic activity in co/polymerization reactions (ROP: trimethylene carbonate, c-caprolactone, L-lactide; copolymerization of epoxides with CO2). (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.