Controlled Synthesis of Novel Aryloxide Polynuclear Aluminum Species. Study of Their Catalytic Properties in Polymerization Processes

The reaction of AlMe3 with 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3OH at room temperature renders the dinuclear [AlMe2(OR)]2 (1) (OR = 3,5-(CF3)2C6H3O), trinuclear {[AlMe2(OR)]2[AlMe(OR)2]} (2), or tetranuclear {[AlMe2(OR)]2[AlMe(OR)2]2} (3) derivative depending on the reaction conditions (solvent and stoichiometry of the reagents). All compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis and NMR spectroscopy, and their crystal structures determined by X-ray diffraction methods. Catalytic studies reveal that these compounds show high activity in ring-opening polymerization of cyclohexene oxide (CHO). The activity in the catalytic process varies significantly with solvent and temperature conditions.