Iminopyridine Copper Complex‐Based Catalysts for 1,3‐Dienes Stereospecific Polymerization

Abstract

AbstractSome novel copper complexes are synthesized by reacting copper(II) dichloride and copper(II) dibromide with a series of pyridyl‐imine ligands differing in the nature of the substituents at the iminic carbon and at the imino nitrogen atom. All the complexes are characterized by analytical and infrared data: for some of them single crystals are obtained, and their molecular structure is determined by X‐ray diffraction. The complexes are combined with methylaluminoxane (MAO) for the polymerization of 1,3‐dienes (i.e., 1,3‐butadiene and isoprene) obtaining active and selective catalysts and, in case of isoprene, polymers with quite unusual structures, i.e., predominantly alternating cis‐1,4‐alt‐3,4 structures containing cis‐1,4 units sequences within the polymer chain.