Functional cage-amine complexes: polymerisable metallomonomers and multi-cage complexes (2007)

[Truncated abstract] Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the 'sarcophagine' class of ligands and the field of metallopolymers. The synthesis, stereochemistry, physical properties and functionalisation of 'sarcophagines' and their metal complexes are discussed. A brief overview of the burgeoning field of metallopolymers is given with specific mention of the synthetic routes to pendant metallopolymers, and how these could be employed to prepared cage amine containing metallopolymers. Chapter 2 deals with the synthesis, characterisation and reactivity of cinnamylamino and styrylamido derivatives of the cage amines [Co((NH2)2sar)]3+, [Co((CH3)(NH2)sar)]3+ and [Cu((NH2)2sar)]2+. The cinnamylamino derivatives were prepared using reductive alkylation of the aforementioned amines with cinnamaldehyde. Procedures were developed to isolate the complexes without causing unwanted additions to the double bond. The cinnamylamino derivatives displayed unexpected reactivity towards a range of reducing agents, resulting in unexpected reduction of the double bond and cleavage of the cinnamyl group, but ultimately in the preparation of phenylpropylamino derivatives of [Co((NH2)2sar)]3+ and [Co((CH3)(NH2)sar)]3+. Attempts to rationalise the reactivity of the double bond have been explored based upon the physical properties and reactivity of the double bond. The styrylamido derivatives were prepared by treatment of the cage amines with 4-vinylbenzoyl chloride, and the complexes isolated in a similar manner to those of the cinnamylamino derivatives to ensure the amide linkage remained intact. Most of the complexes have been structurally characterised. ... Both the 2-thienyl and 3-thienyl derivatives of [Co((NH2)2sar)]3+ and [Co((CH3)(NH2)sar)]3+ have been prepared using reductive alkylation with the respective carboxaldehydes of thiophene. One of the optically pure isomers has been prepared. The complexes have been fully characterised including structural characterisation. Polymerisation of the thiophene-cage amine complexes was investigated under a range of chemical and electrochemical conditions, though polymerisation was never observed. Cleavage of the thienyl groups was observed when ceric ammonium nitrate in nitric acid was used as the oxidant. The attachment of oligothiophenes and mixed pyrrole-thiophene oligomers to cage amines were investigated using reductive alkylation and various pyrrole ring-forming reactions about the apical amino groups, though none of the desired complexes were isolated, reasons for the lack of reactivity were discussed. An efficient synthesis of N-(4-benzoic acid)- 2,5-di(2-thienyl)pyrrole was developed and was shown to the electropolymerisable, albeit the polymer films were non-conducting. Attempts to couple N-(4-benzoic acid)- 2,5-di(2-thienyl)pyrrole with a cage amine via its acid chloride were complicated by decomposition reactions, the nature of one of these products is discussed. Chapter 5 presents investigations into the preparation of simple complexes containing multiple cage amines using alkylation and acylation procedures with aromatic substrates. The complexes were found to exhibit some interesting electrochemical and chemical properties, demonstrating that even simple multiple cage amine species can display complicated and interesting behaviour.