Sterically Induced Ligand Framework Distortion Effects on Catalytic Cyclic Ester Polymerizations

Aluminum alkoxide complexes supported by salen ligands [salen = N,N′-bis(salicylaldimine)-2-methylpropane-1,2-diamine or N,N′-bis(salicylaldimine)-2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine] with o-adamantyl substituents have been synthesized and investigated for the polymerization of e-caprolactone. Geometric analysis of the catalysts used for the reaction reveals the metal coordination geometries to be intermediate between square-pyramidal and trigonal-bipyramidal. A detailed kinetic study accompanied by density functional theory modeling of key mechanistic steps of the reaction suggest that, in addition to the length of the backbone linker, the o-aryl substituents have a significant impact on the catalyst’s reactivity. Bulky ortho substituents favorably distort the precatalyst geometry and thereby foster the achievement of the rate-limiting transition-state geometry at low energetic cost, thus accelerating the reaction.