Application of Chiral Amine-Imine Ligands in Palladium-CatalyzedPolyketone Synthesis: Effect of Ligand Backbone on the PolymerStereochemistry

Two pairs of enantiomerically pure chiral bidentate nitrogen-donor ligands (N*-N) featuring one sp3 and one sp2 nitrogen atom have been applied to the CO/vinyl arene copolymerization reaction catalyzed by the corresponding monocationic palladium(II) complexes [Pd(CH3)(CH3CN)- (N*-N)][PF6]. The ligand fragment containing the sp2 nitrogen atom is a 2-pyridinyl or an 8-quinolinyl building block, while the chiral framework of the ligand derives from (S)-(þ)-2,20 -(2- azapropane-1,3-diyl)-1,10 -binaphthalene or from trans-2,5-dimethylpyrrolidinyl. Ligands with the binaphthyl moiety generate catalysts showing a moderate activity, while ligands having the pyrrolidinyl fragment result in very low activity species. The stereochemistry of the synthesized polyketones depends on the sp2 nitrogen-containing fragment: ligands with the 2-pyridinyl group lead to atactic copolymers, whereas those with the quinolinyl moiety give an isotactic polyketone.