Polymerisation of polar olefins promoted by organometallic cobalt complexes: free radical or coordinative process?

Low temperature oxidation of linseed oil: a review

This review analyses and summarises the previous investigations on the oxidation of linseed oil and the self-heating of cotton and other materials impregnated with the oil. It discusses the composition and chemical structure of linseed oil, including its drying properties. The review describes several experimental methods used to test the propensity of the oil to induce spontaneous heating and ignition of lignocellulosic materials soaked with the oil. It covers the thermal ignition of the lignocellulosic substrates impregnated with the oil and it critically evaluates the analytical methods applied to investigate the oxidation reactions of linseed oil.

Initiation of radical chains by singlet oxygen (1Δg), and their propagation underpin the mechanism of oxidation of linseed oil, leading to the self-heating and formation of volatile organic species and higher molecular weight compounds. The review also discusses the role of metal complexes of cobalt, iron and manganese in catalysing the oxidative drying of linseed oil, summarising some kinetic parameters such as the rate constants of the peroxidation reactions.

With respect to fire safety, the classical theory of self-ignition does not account for radical and catalytic reactions and appears to offer limited insights into the autoignition of lignocellulosic materials soaked with linseed oil. New theoretical and numerical treatments of oxidation of such materials need to be developed. The self-ignition induced by linseed oil is predicated on the presence of both a metal catalyst and a lignocellulosic substrate, and the absence of any prior thermal treatment of the oil, which destroys both peroxy radicals and singlet O2 sensitisers. An overview of peroxyl chemistry included in the article will be useful to those working in areas of fire science, paint drying, indoor air quality, biofuels and lipid oxidation.

Bis[μ-N-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl)-N-(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amido]bis[methylcobalt(II)]

The green title complex, [Co₂(CH₃)₂(C₁₂H₂₁N₂Si)₂], was obtained from bis­{[μ-N-tert-butyl­dimethyl­silyl-N-(pyridin-2-ylmeth­yl)amido]­chloridocobalt(II)} and methyl­lithium in diethyl ether at 195 K via a metathesis reaction. The dimeric cobalt(II) complex exhibits a crystallographic center of inversion in the middle of the Co₂N₂ ring (average Co—N = 2.050 Å). The Co^II atom shows a distorted tetra­hedral coordination sphere. The exocyclic Co—N bond length to the pyridyl group shows a similar value of 2.045 (4) Å. The exocyclic methyl group has a rather long Co—C bond length of 2.019 (5) Å.

cis-Bis-(2,2'-bipyrid-yl)dicyanato-cobalt(II)

In the title complex, [Co(NCO)(2)(C(10)H(8)N(2))(2)], the Co atom is coordinated by four N atoms from two 2,2'-bipyridyl ligands and two N atoms from two cyanate anions in a distorted octa-hedral geometry. The Co atom lies on a twofold rotation axis. The average Co-N bond length is 2.126 (7) Å. Weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O inter-actions lead to the formation of a three-dimensional network.

Insertion of Acrylonitrile into Palladium Methyl Bonds in Neutral and Anionic Pd(II) Complexes

The reactions of a series of Pd(II) methyl compounds of general formula LPd(NCCH(3))CH(3), where L is a bulky phenoxydiazene or phenoxyaldimine ligand with the polar olefin acrylonitrile (AN), are reported. The compounds react with an excess of AN to give the products of 2,1 insertion into the Pd-Me bond, yielding dimers and/or trimers which feature bridging alpha-cyano groups. The reactions were studied by low temperature (1)H NMR spectroscopy, revealing an initial formation of compounds featuring N-bound AN, which isomerized to an (unobserved) pi-bound species that rapidly underwent 2,1 insertion into the Pd-Me bond. Intermediate oligomeric complexes retaining a Pd-Me function were observed at low [AN] in these reactions. Under pseudo first-order conditions, k(obs) values of 8.5 x 10(-5) to 2.68 x 10(-3) M(-1) (-22 degrees C to 10 degrees C, 100 equiv of AN) and activation parameters of DeltaH++ = 14.4(5) kcal mol(-1) and DeltaS++ = -19(5) eu were obtained in one case. Comparison of the overall rates of insertion between two LPd(NCCH(3))CH(3), differing in the overall charge on the supporting ligand L, showed that the complex bearing a negatively charged ligand reacts with AN twice as fast as one with no anionic charge. The rates of insertion in both of these complexes are significantly faster than reported rates for analogous reactions in cationic Pd(II) derivatives, indicating that increasing the negative charge on the complex enhances the rate of AN insertion. These results provide fundamental mechanistic insights into a crucial reaction for incorporation of polar comonomers into alpha olefins via a coordination polymerization mechanism.