Co-polymerization of propylene oxide and CO₂ using early transition metal (groups IV and V) metallocalix[n]arenes (n = 4, 6, 8)

A number of metallocalix[n]arenes, where n = 4, 6, or 8, of titanium and vanadium have been screened for their ability to act as catalysts for the co‐polymerization of propylene oxide and CO2 to form cyclic/polycarbonates. The vanadium‐containing catalysts, namely [VO(L1Me)] (1), [(VO2)L2H6] (2), [Na(NCMe)6]2[(Na[VO]4L2)(Na(NCMe))3]2 (3), [VO(μ‐OH)L3/H2]2∙6CH2Cl2 (4), {[VO]2(μ‐O)L4[Na(NCMe)2]2} (5), {[V(Np‐tolyl)]2L4} (6) and [V(Np‐RC6H4)Cl3] (R = Cl (7), OMe (8), CF3 (9)), where L1H3 = methylether‐p‐tert‐butylcalix[4]areneH3, L2H8 = p‐tert‐butylcalix[8]areneH8, L3H4 = p‐tert‐butylthiacalix[4]areneH4, L4H6 = p‐tert‐butyltetrahomodioxacalix[6]areneH6, performed poorly, affording, in the majority of cases, TONs less than 1 at 90°C over 6 h and low molecular weight oligomeric products (Mn ≤ 1665). In the case of the titanocalix[8]arenes, {(TiX)2[TiX(NCMe)]2(μ3‐O)2(L2)} (X = Cl (10), Br (11), I (12)), which all adopt a similar, ladder‐type structure, the activity under the same conditions is somewhat higher (TONs >6) and follows the trend Cl > Br > I; by comparison the non‐calixarene species [TiCl4(THF)2] was virtually inactive. In the case of 10, it was observed that the use of PPNCl (bis[triphenylphosphine]iminium chloride) as co‐catalyst significantly improved both the polymer yield and molecular weight (Mn 3515). The molecular structures of the complexes [HNEt3]2[VO(μ‐O)L3H2]2∙3CH2Cl2 (4∙3CH2Cl2), [VO(μ‐OH)L3/H2]2∙6CH2Cl2 (4/) (where L3/H2 is a partially oxidized form of L3H4) and {(TiCl)2[TiCl(NCMe)]2(μ3‐O)2(L2)}·6.5MeCN (10·6.5MeCN) are reported