Tetrakis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethene and derivatives. A structurally preorganized tetradentate ligand system for polymetallic coordination chemistry and catalysis.

A topologically unique, conformationally constrained tetradentate ligand system for polymetallic coordination chemistry has been developed:  tetrakis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethene (1a) and substituted derivatives. The design exploits the planarity of the tetraphenylethylene core to impart rigidity to the roughly square oxygen binding array, while maintaining a degree of conformational mobility associated with rotation about the aryl−ethylene carbon−carbon bonds. Tetrakis(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethene derivatives are designed to promote multiple metal bridging over chelating coordination modes. The ligand is synthesized from anisole or 4-tert-butylanisole in four steps via the 2,2‘-dimethoxybenzophenone hydrazones 4a,b. The sterically hindered ortho-substituted tetraphenylethylene core is produced in high yield by acid-catalyzed decomposition of the corresponding diaryl diazomethane prepared in situ by oxidation of the hydrazone using nickel peroxide. Deprotection of the methyl ethers using boron tribromide gives tetrak...