Self-supported organometallic rhodium quinonoid nanocatalysts for stereoselective polymerization of phenylacetylene

Abstract

Heterogeneous self-supported organometallic nanocatalysts (ONs) were synthesized by treatment of the eta6-pi-hydroquinone rhodium complex [(1,4-hydroquinone)Rh(COD)]+ with Al(Oi-Pr)3. The organometallic nanocatalysts, the size of which can be controlled by alteration of the reaction conditions, show high catalytic activities in the stereoselective polymerization of phenylacetylene to produce cis-poly(phenylacetylene). A key feature of the ON catalyst synthesis is a facile eta6 to eta4 hapticity change occurring in the quinonoid ring, which is triggered by deprotonation of the -OH groups by Al(Oi-Pr)3, with concomitant coordination of the quinone oxygen atoms to the aluminum.