RETRACTED ARTICLE: Mechanical activation of catalysts for C-C bond forming and anionic polymerization reactions from a single macromolecular reagent

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja107620y

Coupling of pyridine-capped poly(methyl acrylate)s, PyP_M (where M corresponds to the number average molecular weight in kDa), to the SCS-cyclometalated dipalladium complex [(1)(CH₃CN)₂] afforded organometallic polymers [(1)(PyP_M)₂] with a concomitant doubling in molecular weight. Ultrasonication of solutions containing [(1)(PyP_M)₂] effected the mechanical scission of a palladium-pyridine bond, where the liberated PyP_M was trapped with excess HBF₄ as the corresponding pyridinium salt, harnessed to effect the stoichiometric deprotonation of a colorimetric indicator, or used to catalyze the anionic polymerization of α-trifluoromethyl-2,2,2- trifluoroethyl acrylate. The mechanically induced chain scission also unmasked a catalytically active palladium species which was used to facilitate carbon-carbon bond formation between benzyl cyanide and N-tosyl imines. Spectroscopic and macromolecular analyses as well as a series of control experiments demonstrated that the aforementioned structural changes were derived from mechanical forces that originated from ultrasound-induced dissociation of the polymer chains connected to the aforementioned Pd complexes.