Patent ID: 7456284

Claim:
A method for producing a hexadentate bimetallic complex, comprising: (a) contacting a mono-acyliminepyridine compound, a metal salt, and a diamine to form a mixture; and, (b) recovering the hexadentate bimetallic complex from the mixture, wherein the bimetallic complex has one of the following structures: wherein W and W′ are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group; R 1 , R′ 1 , R 2 , R′ 2 , R 3 , and R′ 3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group, and any two of R 1 , R′ 1 , R 2 , R′ 2 , R 3 , and R′ 3 , vicinal to one another, taken together may form a ring; R 4 , R′ 4 , R 5 , and R′ 5 , are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group, and R 4 and R 1 , or alternatively R′ 4 and R′ 1 , taken together may form a ring, R 5 and R 3 , or alternatively R′ 5 and R′ 3 , taken together may form a ring, R 4 and R A or R B , or alternatively, R′ 4 and R′ A or R′ B , taken together may form a ring, and R 5 and R C or R D , or alternatively, R′ 5 and R′ C R′ D , taken together may form a ring; R 6 , R′ 6 , R 7 , R′ 7 , R 8 , R′ 8 , R 9 , R′ 9 , R 10 , R′ 10 , R 11 , and R′ 11 , are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group; R A , R′ A , R B , R′ B , R C , R′ C , R D , and R′ D , are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group; Y 1 and Y 2 represent a structural bridge between two halves of a ligand or complex, where Y 1 may be a bond between nitrogen group 30 and nitrogen group 40, a hydrocarbyl having from about 0 to about 30 carbon atoms, a substituted hydrocarbyl having from about 0 to about 30 carbon atoms, or an inert functional group and Y 2 may be a bond between aromatic rings 120 and 130, a hydrocarbyl having from about 0 to about 30 carbon atoms, substituted hydrocarbyl having from about 0 to about 30 carbon atoms, or an inert functional group; M and M′ may independently be any metal atom; and X and X′ may independently be any anion.