Extended Hydrogen-Bonded Molybdenum Arrays Derived from Carboxylic Acids and Dianilines: ROP Capability of the Complexes and Parent Acids and Dianilines

Abstract

From reactions involving sodium molybdate and dianilines [2,2′-(NH2)C6H4]2(CH2)n (n = 0, 1, 2) and amino-functionalized carboxylic acids 1,2-(NH2)(CO2H)C6H4 or 2-H2NC6H3-1,4-(CO2H)2, in the presence of Et3N and Me3SiCl, products adopting H-bonded networks have been characterized. In particular, the reaction of 2,2′-diaminobiphenyl, [2,2′-NH2(C6H4)]2, and 2-aminoterephthalic acid, H2NC6H3-1,4-(CO2H)2, led to the isolation of [(MoCl3[2,2′-N(C6H4)]2}{HNC6H3-1-(CO2),4-(CO2H)]·2[2,2′-NH2(C6H4)]2·3.5MeCN (1·3.5MeCN), which contains intra-molecular N–H∙∙∙Cl H-bonds and slipped π∙∙∙π interactions. Similar use of 2,2′-methylenedianiline, [2,2′-(NH2)C6H4]2CH2, in combination with 2-aminoterephthalic acid led to the isolation of [MoCl2(O2CC6H3NHCO2SiMe3)(NC6H4CH2C6H4NH2)]·3MeCN (2·3MeCN). Complex 2 contains extensive H-bonds between pairs of centrosymmetrically-related molecules. In the case of 2,2′ethylenedianiline, [2,2′-(NH2)C6H4]2CH2CH2, and anthranilic acid, 1,2-(NH2)(CO2H)C6H4, reaction with Na2MoO4 in the presence of Et3N and Me3SiCl in refluxing 1,2-dimethoxyethane afforded the complex [MoCl3{1,2-(NH)(CO2)C6H4}{NC6H4CH2CH2C6H4NH3}]·MeCN (3·MeCN). In 3, there are intra-molecular bifurcated H-bonds between NH3 H atoms and chlorides, whilst pairs of molecules H-bond further via the NH3 groups to the non-coordinated carboxylate oxygen, resulting in H-bonded chains. Complexes 1 to 3 have been screened for the ring opening polymerization (ROP) of both ε-caprolactone (ε-CL) and δ-valerolactone (δ-VL) using solvent-free conditions under N2 and air. The products were of moderate to high molecular weight, with wide Ð values, and comprised several types of polymer families, including OH-terminated, OBn-terminated (for PCL only), and cyclic polymers. The results of metal-free ROP using the dianilines [2,2′-(NH2)C6H4]2(CH2)n (n = 0, 1, 2) and the amino-functionalized carboxylic acids 1,2-(NH2)(CO2H)C6H4 or 2-H2NC6H3-1,4-(CO2H)2 under similar conditions (no BnOH) are also reported. The dianilines were found to be capable of the ROP of δ-VL (but not ε-CL), whilst anthranilic acid outperformed 2-aminoterephthalic acid for both ε-Cl and δ-VL.