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2.33 (3H, s, Cipso–CH3), 3.37–3.47 (1H, m, CH2–CH3), 3.52–
3.62 (1H, m, CH2–CH3), 4.23–4.35 (2H, m, O–CH2–CO), 7.19
(2H, s, Hmeta). See Fig. S1 in the supporting information for the
1H NMR spectrum.
obtained using catalyst (3) is given in Fig. S7 of the supporting
information.
2.2. Refinement
2.1.4. Synthesis of [(BHT)ZnEt]2. A solution of ZnEt2 in
hexane (20 ml, 1.0 M, 20 mmol) was added dropwise to a
stirred solution of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol (4.407 g,
20 mmol) in toluene (6 ml). The reaction mixture was stirred
for 30 min. The next day the mother liquor was decanted from
the precipitated crystals, which were then washed with hexane
(2 ꢂ 10 ml) and dried under dynamic vacuum. The yield of
Crystal data, data collection and structure refinement
details are summarized in Table 1. The H atoms were posi-
˚
tioned geometrically (C—H = 0.95 A for aromatic, 0.98 A for
˚
˚
methyl and 0.99 A for methylene H atoms) and refined as
riding atoms, with relative isotropic displacement parameters
Uiso(H) = 1.5Ueq(C) for methyl H atoms and 1.2Ueq(C)
otherwise. A rotating group model was applied for methyl
groups.
1
colourless crystals was 5.589 g (8.89 mmol, 89%). H NMR
(C6D6, 293 K, 400 MHz): ꢂ 7.20 (2H, s, Hmeta), 2.27 (3H, s, CH3,
Reflections 101 and 100 in (1) were affected by the beam
stop and were therefore omitted from the refinement.
Reflections 606 and 508 in (1) were also omitted from the
refinement since their (Iobs ꢁ Icalcd)/ꢆ(W) values were over 10.
Complex (1) was refined as an inversion twin with a domain
ratio of 0.93 (15):0.07 (15), where the rather high s.u. value
might be explained by low anomalous scattering, as well as by
pseudosymmetry. Two of the three independent molecules in
(1) exhibit rotational disorder of the tert-butyl groups, with
ratios of 0.741 (3):0.259 (3) and 0.900 (3):0.100 (3) for the
C28A–C30A/C28B–C30B and C23C–C25C/C23D–C25D
atoms, respectively (Figs. 4a and 4b). The third molecule
contains a conformationally disordered THF molecule [atoms
C32E/C32F; the disorder ratio is 0.809 (6):0.191 (6); Fig. 4c].
The terminal methyl group in the OCH2COOCH2CH3 ligand
in (2) is almost equally disordered over two positions, with a
ratio of 0.507 (11):0.493 (11) for the C19A/C19B atoms (Fig. 5).
One of four non-equivalent phenyl groups is disordered over
two positions; the ratio is 0.622 (6):0.378 (6) for atoms C30A–
C34A/C30B–C34B (Fig. 6a). All the disorder was refined in a
regular manner, including the same anisotropic displacement
parameters for similar atoms. All six C—CH3 bond lengths in
each of the two disordered tert-butyl groups and the four
CH2—CH2 bond lengths in the disordered THF fragment in
(1), together with two CH2—CH3 bond lengths in (2), were
BHT), 1.63 (18H, s, tBu, BHT), 1.13 (3H, t, –CH2CH3, 3JHH
3
8.08 Hz), 0.60 (3H, q, –CH2CH3, JHH = 8.08 Hz).
=
2.1.5. Synthesis of [Zn7(OCH2Ph)8Et6], (3). A solution of
benzyl alcohol (110 mg, 1.02 mmol) in toluene (2 ml) was
added to crystals of [(BHT)ZnEt]2 (325 mg, 0.52 mmol). The
mixture was stirred for 2 min to give a colourless solution.
After 30 min, hexane (8 ml) was layered on top of the solu-
tion. Colourless crystals of [Zn7(OCH2Ph)8Et6], (3), formed
over a period of 10 d (yield: 183 mg, 0.12 mmol, 84%). Half
of the crystals were taken for X-ray studies. The other half
were washed with hexane (2 ꢂ 0.5 ml) and dried under
1
vacuum. H NMR (C6D5CD3, 300 K, 400 MHz): ꢂ ꢁ0.07 to
+0.26 (6H, m, Zn–CH2–CH3), 0.95–1.03 (9H, m, Zn–CH2–
CH3), 4.67–5.24 (8H, m, Zn–CH2–Ph), 7.07–7.55 (20H, m, Zn–
CH2–C6H5).
2.1.6. Polymerization of "-caprolactone. In a typical poly-
merization experiment, 1 ml of a 0.1 M solution of ROH in
THF (0.1 mmol) was added dropwise to a solution of Mg-
(BHT)2(THF)2 (61 mg, 0.1 mmol) in THF (1 ml). The reaction
mixture was stirred for 20 min. A solution of "-CL (1.141 g,
10.0 mmol) in THF (up to 3 ml of the solution) was added at
i
once to the resulting stirred suspension (for ROH = PrOH,
tBuOH and tBuCH2OH). The "-CL/ROH/Mg molar ratio was
100:1:1. After a certain amount of time (see reaction time in
Table 5), a sample of the reaction mixture was dissolved in
CDCl3 containing a small amount of acetic acid to neutralize
the catalyst. The "-CL conversion into PCL was calculated
from a recordered 1H NMR spectrum, based on integral
intensities of the CH2OC O proton resonance signals being
4.14 ppm for "-CL and 3.98 ppm for PCL. The vial was then
taken out of the dry-box. The resulting viscous solution was
poured into a large excess of methanol (up to 100 ml)
containing a few drops (a fivefold excess with respect to Mg)
of acetic acid. The resulting precipitate was filtered off and
reprecipitated from a THF/methanol mixture (ca 1:10 v/v),
filtered off and dried under dynamic vacuum until a constant
mass was noted. For cholesterol and cyclohexyl-protected
furanose, the "-CL/ROH/Mg molar ratios were 60:1:1 and
˚
restrained to be equal within 0.002 A for each group of
distances using free variables.
3. Results and discussion
3.1. Mg(BHT)2(THF)2, (1)
The asymmetric unit of (1) contains three independent
Mg(BHT)2(THF)2 molecules (Fig. 4), which exhibit disorder
either of the tert-butyl groups (Figs. 4a and 4b) or a coordi-
nated THF molecule (Fig. 4c). The Mg atom adopts a distorted
tetrahedral environment. The O—Mg—O angles lie in the
following ranges for all three molecules: 89.26 (7)–89.59 (7)ꢃ
for OTHF–Mg–OTHF, 97.82 (7)–125.24 (8)ꢃ for OTHF–Mg–OBHT
and 122.30 (8)–125.31 (8)ꢃ for OBHT–Mg–OBHT, which is in
1
75:1:1, respectively. The H NMR spectra of PCL with term-
inal RO groups can be found in the supporting information
(Figs. S2–S6).
agreement with steric hindrance of the ligands. The Mg—
˚
O
BHT bond lengths are shorter by 0.18–0.21 A than the Mg—
Complexes (2) and (3) were generated in situ. "-CL poly-
merization experiments with (2) and (3) were performed
1
under similar conditions. The H NMR spectrum of PCL
OTHF bond lengths (Table 2), presumably due to the presence
of a negative charge at the phenoxide BHTꢁ anion regardless
of its bulkiness.
ꢀ
552 Minyaev et al.
Ring-opening polymerization of "-caprolactone
Acta Cryst. (2018). C74, 548–557