Role of B(C6F5)3 in catalyst activation, anion
formation, and as C6F5 transfer agent
Manfred Bochmann, Simon J. Lancaster, Mark D. Hannant,
Antonio Rodriguez, Mark Schormann, Dennis A.Walker, and
Timothy J.Woodman
Wolfson Materials and Catalysis Centre, School of
Chemical Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
Abstract: The versatile reactivity of B(C6F5)3
in alkene polymerization reactions is summarized. Adduct formation with
basic anions such as CN� and NH2� gives extremely
weakly co- ordinating diborates, which are the basis of some of the
most active polymerization catalysts known to date. By contrast, the
reaction of B(C6F5)3 with zirconium
half-sandwich complexes leads to extensive C6F5 transfer, including
the surprising formation of borole-bridged triple decker complexes. Main
group alkyls undergo such C6F5 exchange reactions very readily
unless donor ligands are present. Borate salts of new three-coordinate
zinc alkyl cations proved to be highly effective catalysts for the ring-opening
polymerization of epoxides and lactones.
*Lecture presented at the XIth International Meeting
on Boron Chemistry (IMEBORON XI), Moscow, Russia, 28 July - 2 August
2002. Other presentations are published in this issue,
pp. 1157-1355.
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