Isomorphous rare-earth tris[bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) phosphate] complexes and their catalytic properties in 1,3-diene polymerization and in the inhibited oxidation of polydimethylsiloxane

Crystals of mononuclear tris[bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) phosphato-κO]pentakis(methanol-κO)lanthanide methanol monosolvates of lanthanum, [La(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)₃(CH₃OH)₅]·CH₃OH, (1), cerium, [Ce(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)₃(CH₃OH)₅]·CH₃OH, (2), and neodymium, [Nd(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)₃(CH₃OH)₅]·CH₃OH, (3), have been obtained by reactions between LnCl₃(H₂O) _n (n = 6 or 7) and lithium bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) phosphate in a 1:3 molar ratio in methanol media. Compounds (1)–(3) crystallize in the monoclinic P2₁/c space group and have isomorphous crystal structures. All three bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) phosphate ligands display a κO-monodentate coordination mode. The coordination number of the metal atom is 8. Each [Ln{O₂P(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃)₂}₃(CH₃OH)₅] molecular unit exhibits four intramolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds, forming six-membered rings. The unit forms two intermolecular O—H...O hydrogen bonds with one noncoordinating methanol molecule. All six hydroxy H atoms are involved in hydrogen bonding within the [Ln{O₂P(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃)₂}₃(CH₃OH)₅]·CH₃OH unit. This, along with the high steric hindrance induced by the three bulky diaryl phosphate ligands, prevents the formation of a hydrogen-bond network. Complexes (1)–(3) exhibit disorder of two of the isopropyl groups of the phosphate ligands. The cerium compound (2) demonstrates an essential catalytic inhibition in the thermal decomposition of polydimethylsiloxane in air at 573 K. Catalytic systems based on the neodymium complex tris[bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) phosphato-κO]neodymium, (3′), which was obtained as a dry powder of (3) upon removal of methanol, display a high catalytic activity in isoprene and butadiene polymerization.