high yield and structurally characterized. Reaction of H2L with
[VO(OEt)3], depending on the stoichiometry, resulted in the for-
mation of the dinuclear mixed-ligand complexes [V(L-κ3O,N,N,
O)(O)(OEt)] (1) and [V2(μ-L-κ4O,N,N,O)(μ-OEt)2(O)2(OEt)2]
(2), the structural features of which have been determined by
NMR spectra in solution and a single-crystal X-ray diffraction
study in the solid state for 2. These vanadate complexes rep-
resent the first examples of imidazolidine-bridged bis(aryloxido)
vanadium compounds. The structure of 2 reveals that in the solid
state a single chelating ligand bridges the two octahedral
vanadium centres, providing one oxygen and one nitrogen to
each metal centre, which are additionally linked by two OEt
CH2C(CH3)3], 33.1 [ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 32.6 [ArC(CH3)2
CH2C(CH3)3], 32.0 [ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3]. ES-MS: m/z:
509.4 [H2L + H]+. IR (Nujol mulls, cm−1): ν(O–H), 2910 (br).
Crystals suitable for the crystal structure determination were
obtained via recrystallization of the crude product from a
mixture of EtOH–MeOH (1 : 1).
Preparation of [V(μ-L-κ3O,N,N,O)(O)(OEt)] (1)
To a colorless suspension of H2L (1.43 g, 2.81 mmol) in toluene
(30 cm3) was added [VO(OEt)3] (0.5 cm3, 2.81 mmol) and the
mixture was stirred at room temperature for 2 h. Then, the pink-
red solution was evaporated to dryness to give a dark-red solid
of 1 (1.41 g, 81.6%). Anal. calcd for C35H55N2O4V: C, 67.92;
1
groups. The 51V, H and 13C NMR spectra, as well as ES-MS,
showed that compound 2 does not stay intact in solution and
undergoes dissociation to produce 1 and [VO(OEt)3].
1
H, 8.96; N, 4.53. Found: C, 67.87; H, 8.95; N, 4.51. H NMR
3
4
The presented results indicate that the imidazolidine-bridged
bis(aryloxido) L ligand might not have significant potential for
the design and synthesis of the vanadate well defined single-site
catalysts for homogeneous olefin polymerization, particularly in
the case of 1. However, the application of 1 and 2 as hetero-
geneous catalytic systems is not excluded and is being tested in
our laboratory, together with their potential in the oxidation of
organic materials with peroxides.
(600 MHz, C6D6, 298 K): δ 7.20 (dd, 4H, J = 8.7 Hz, J = 2.3
3
4
Hz, ArH), 7.17 (dd, 4H, J = 8.7 Hz, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 7.04
(dd, 4H, J = 8.7 Hz, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 7.02 (d, 4H, J = 2.3
Hz, ArH), 6.96 (d, 4H, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 6.77 (d, 4H, J = 2.3
Hz, ArH), 6.64 (d, 2H, J = 8.2 Hz, ArH), 6.55 (d, 2H, J = 8.2
Hz, ArH), 5.90 (q, 4H, J = 6.9 Hz, OCH2CH3), 5.63 (q, 4H, J
= 6.6 Hz, OCH2CH3), 4.60 (d, J = 12.2 Hz, 2H, NCH2Ar),
3
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
4.53 [d, J = 6.3 Hz, NCH2CH2N], 4.50 [m, 4H, NCH2CH2N],
2
3.80 (br, s, 2H, NCH2Ar), 3.45 [d, J = 4.4 Hz, 1H, N(CH2)N],
2
2
2.46 (d, J = 12.2 Hz, 2H, NCH2Ar), 1.98 [d, J = 4.5 Hz, 1H,
Experimental
2
N(CH2)N], 1.78 (d, J = 6.4 Hz, 1H, NCH2CH2N), 1.65, 1.57
All operations were carried out under a dry dinitrogen atmos-
phere, using standard Schlenk techniques. All the solvents were
distilled under dinitrogen from the appropriate drying agents
prior to use. Ethylenediamine, paraformaldehyde, 4-(1,1,3,3-
tetramethylbutyl)phenol and [VO(OEt)3] were obtained from the
Aldrich Chemical Co. and used without further purification
unless stated otherwise. Infrared spectra were recorded on a
Perkin-Elmer 180 spectrophotometer in Nujol mulls. NMR
spectra were performed on Bruker ARX 300 and Bruker Avance
III 600 spectrometers. The electrospray mass spectra (ES-MS)
were recorded on a Bruker MicrOTOF-Q mass spectrograph.
Microanalyses were conducted with a ASA-1 (GDR, Karl-Zeiss-
Jena) instrument (in-house).
[s, 2H, ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 1.37 [t, 3H, 3J = 6.8 Hz,
OCH2CH3 overlap with ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 1.30 [s, 12H,
ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 1.27 [s, 12H, ArC(CH3)2CH2C-
3
(CH3)3], 0.80 [t, 3H, J = 6.8 Hz, OCH2CH3 overlap with ArC
(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 0.67 [s, 9H, ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3]. 13
C
NMR (600 MHz, C6D6, 298 K): δ 163.5, 163.3, 143.6, 143.5,
138.6, 138.4, 129.7, 129.1, 126.9, 126.3, 117.2, 117.0 (C6H3),
83.9 (OCH2CH3), 76.2, (NCH2N), 75.4 (NCH2CH2N), 70.5
(NCH2CH2N), 60.7 (NCH2N), 58.3, 58.1 [ArC(CH3)2CH2C-
(CH3)3], 54.0 (ArCH2N), 38.8, 38.7 [ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3],
33.1, 33.0 [ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 32.7 32.6 [ArC-
(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 32.4, 32.0 [ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 20.1
(OCH2CH3). 51V NMR (300 MHz, C6D6, 298 K) δ −485.
ES-MS: m/z: 619.4 {[VOL(OEt)]+H}+. IR (Nujol mulls, cm−1):
ν(VvO), 964 (s, shr).
Preparation of H2L
A
mixture of 4-(1,1,3,3-tetramethylbutyl)phenol (10 g,
Preparation of [V2(μ-L-κ4O,N,N,O)(O)2(μ-OEt)2(OEt)2] (2)
48.5 mmol), paraformaldehyde (2.19 g, 72.8 mmol) and
ethylenediamine (1.6 cm3, 24.2 mmol) in CH3CN or EtOH
(100 cm3) was stirred under reflux for one day at 351 K. A white
precipitate formed was filtered, washed with ice-cold CH3CN or
EtOH (3 × 20 cm3) and dried in vacuo to yield a fine white
powder (7.26 g, 59.0%). Anal. calcd for C33H52N2O2: C, 77.90;
H, 10.30; N, 5.51. Found: C, 77.77; H, 10.12; N, 5.40. 1H NMR
(600 MHz, CDCl3, 298 K): δ 10.10 (br s, 2H, ArOH), 7.16 (dd,
Method 1: The synthesis of compound 2 was carried out using a
similar preparation as for 1 starting from H2L (2.87 g,
5.63 mmol) and [VO(OEt)3] (2 cm3, 11.27 mmol) in toluene to
give a dark-violet solid (2.85 g, 61.7%). Anal. calcd for
C41H70N2O8V2: C, 59.97; H, 8.60; N, 3.41. Found: C, 59.83; H,
1
8.58; N, 3.40. H NMR (600 MHz, C6D6, 298 K): δ 7.20 (dd,
3
4
3
4H, J = 8.7 Hz, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 7.17 (dd, 4H, J = 8.7 Hz,
3
4
4
2H, J = 8.4 Hz, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 6.95 (d, 2H, J = 2.3 Hz,
4J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 7.04 (dd, 4H, 3J = 8.7 Hz, 4J = 2.3 Hz, ArH),
7.02 (d, 4H, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 6.96 (d, 4H, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH),
3
4
4
ArH), 6.76 (d, 2H, J = 8.4 Hz, ArH), 3.89 (s, 4H, NCH2Ar),
4
3
3.54 [s, 2H, N(CH2)N], 2.95 [s, 4H, N(CH2CH2)N], 1.65 [s, 4H,
ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 1.32 [s, 12H, ArC(CH3)2CH2C
(CH3)3], 0.68 (s, 18H, ArC(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3]. 13C NMR
(600 MHz, CDCl3, 298 K): δ 156.7, 140.9, 128.9, 127.7, 126.7,
121.7, 116.8 (C6H3), 74.8 (NCH2N), 59.2 (ArCH2N), 57.9 [ArC
(CH3)2CH2C(CH3)3], 51.9 (NCH2CH2N), 38.6 [ArC(CH3)2-
6.77 (d, 4H, J = 2.3 Hz, ArH), 6.64 (d, 2H, J = 8.2 Hz, ArH),
6.55 (d, 2H, 3J = 8.2 Hz, ArH), 5.90 (q, 4H, 3J = 6.9 Hz,
3
OCH2CH3), 5.63 (q, 4H, J = 6.6 Hz, OCH2CH3), 4.94 (q, 4H,
3J = 6.6 Hz, OCH2CH3, [VO(OEt)3]), 4.60 (d, 2J = 12.2 Hz, 2H,
NCH2Ar), 4.53 [d, J = 6.3 Hz, NCH2CH2N)], 4.50 (m, 4H,
2
NCH2CH2N), 3.80 (br, s, 2H, NCH2Ar), 3.45 [d, J = 4.4 Hz,
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012
Dalton Trans., 2012, 41, 5188–5192 | 5191