The chromium(I) dinitrogen complex [(i-Pr2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(μ–η2:η2-N2) catalyzes the selective trimerization of ethylene to 1-hexene at ambient pressure and temperature, and in the absence of any cocatalyst. After the conversion of the substrate, the catalyst cleanly converts to another chromium(I) species, namely [(i-Pr2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(μ–η2:η2-C2H4), which is not catalytically active. Binuclear metallacycles containing Cr(II) have been prepared as candidates for catalytically active intermediates; however they are not kinetically competent to explain the catalysis. Turning thus to mononuclear metallacycles featuring Cr(III), a chromacyclopentane, chromacyclopentene and chromacyclopentadiene have been prepared as models of catalytic intermediates. Of these, the latter also catalyzes the trimerization of ethylene. These results support the proposal that selective ethylene oligomerization catalysis involves an interplay between Cr(I) ethylene complexes and mononuclear Cr(III) metallacycles.
铬(I)二氮络合物[(i-Pr2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(μ-η2:η2-N2)在环境压力和温度下,在没有任何助催化剂的情况下,催化
乙烯向
1-己烯的选择性三聚反应。底物转化后,催化剂会完全转化为另一种
铬(I),即[(i-Pr2Ph)2nacnacCr]2(μ-η2:η2-
C2H4),后者没有催化活性。含有 Cr(II) 的双核
金属环已被制备成具有催化活性的候选中间体,但它们在动力学上无法解释催化作用。因此,我们转向以 Cr(III) 为特征的单核
金属环,制备了
铬环戊烷、
铬环戊烯和
铬环戊二烯作为催化中间体模型。其中,后者还能催化
乙烯的三聚反应。这些结果支持这样的观点,即选择性
乙烯低聚催化涉及
铬(I)
乙烯络合物和单核
铬(III)
金属环之间的相互作用。