Aluminum Complexes Bearing N‑Protected 2‑Amino- or 2‑Imino-Functionalized Pyrrolyl Ligands: Synthesis, Structure, and Catalysis for Preparation of Pyrrolyl-End-Functionalized Polyesters

Abstract

Reactivity of N-protected 2-amino- or 2-imino-functionalized pyrroles with aluminum alkyls was investigated, resulting in the isolation of a series of aluminum alkyl complexes. Treatment of 2-imino-functionalized pyrrole with AlMe₃ produced only imino-coordinated aluminum complex 1-Bn-2-(2,6-^<i>i</i>Pr₂C₆H₃NCH)­C₄H₃NAlMe₃ (<b>1</b>), while reactions of N-protected 2-amino-functionalized pyrroles with aluminum alkyls produced the aluminum alkyl complexes {[η¹-μ-η¹:η¹-1-R₁-2-(2,6-^<i>i</i>Pr₂C₆H₃NCH₂)­C₄H₂N]­AlR}₂ (R₁ = Bn, R = Me (<b>2</b>); R₁ = Bn, R = Et (<b>3</b>); R₁ = R = Me (<b>4</b>); R₁ = Me, R = Et (<b>5</b>)), bearing 3-carbon bonded pyrrolyl ligands via C–H σ-bond metathesis reaction. Further reactions of complexes <b>2</b>–<b>5</b> with a stoichiometric amount of isopropyl alcohol (^<i>i</i>PrOH) afforded the corresponding aluminum alkoxide complexes [1-R₁-2-(2,6-^<i>i</i>Pr₂C₆H₃NCH₂)­C₄H₃NAlR­(μ-O^<i>i</i>Pr)]₂ (R₁ = Bn, R = Me (<b>6</b>); R₁ = Bn, R = Et (<b>7</b>); R₁ = R = Me (<b>8</b>); R₁ = Me, R = Et (<b>9</b>)) through selective cleavage of the Al–C (Pyr) bonds. The solid-state structures of the aluminum complexes <b>1</b>–<b>6</b> and <b>8</b> were confirmed by an X-ray diffraction study. These aluminum alkyl complexes exhibited notable activity toward the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone and l-lactide in the absence of alcohol. The end group analysis of the ε-CL oligomer gave strong support that the polymerization proceeded via a coordination–insertion mechanism involving a unique Al–C (Pyr) bond initiation, providing pyrrolyl-end-functionalized polyesters