Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and organometallic mediated radical polymerization (OMRP) of styrene mediated by diaminobis(phenolato)iron(II) complexes: a DFT study.

This study has addressed the radical polymerization of styrene mediated by the diaminobis(phenolate) complexes [Fe(O-2,4-Y2C6H2-5-CH2)2NCH2CH2NMe2], abbreviated as [Fe(II)]. The system is known to be well controlled when Y = Cl but not when Y = alkyl. The control was proposed to occur by a dual ATRP+OMRP mechanism. We have used DFT calculations to address the Y = Cl and Y = CH3 systems. The growing radical chain, ATRP dormant chain, and OMRP dormant chain were simplified to PhCH(CH3)(•), PhCH(CH3)-Cl, and [PhCH(CH3)-Fe(III)]. The idealized ATRP activation/deactivation equilibrium involves [Fe(III)-Cl] (I(Y)) and PhCH(CH3)(•) on the active side and [Fe(II)] (II(Y)) and PhCH(CH3)-Cl on the dormant side, whereas the OMRP activation/deactivation relates [Fe(II)] and PhCH(CH3)(•) with [PhCH(CH3)-Fe(III)] (III(Y)). A benchmarking of various functionals against the known spin properties of alkylporphyriniron(III) shows B3PW91* to be a suitable functional. For the purpose of bond dissociation energy calculations, a dispersion correction was made (B3PW91*-D3). For both Y systems, the ground state is a spin sextet for I, a spin quintet for II, and a spin quartet for III. The calculations show a greater energy cost for the ATRP activation process involving Cl atom addition to II(Cl) to yield I(Cl) (7.2 kcal/mol) relative to the process transforming II(Me) to I(Me) (2.1 kcal/mol). On the other hand, the alkyl addition transforming II to III provides slightly greater stabilization for II(Cl) (27.1 kcal/mol) than for II(Me) (26.1 kcal/mol). As a result, both ATRP and OMRP trapping processes provide greater stabilization for the Y = Cl system, in agreement with the observed better control. The charge analysis attributes these minor but determining energy differences to the inductive electron withdrawing effect of the phenolato Cl substituents. The ATRP and OMRP activation/deactivation pathways have been analyzed in relation to the spin state change; they show in each case the absence of an activation barrier, and both processes corresponding to spin allowed single-state pathways occurring on the quartet (OMRP) and quintet (ATRP) potential energy surfaces. Molecular volume calculations suggest that the balance between ATRP and OMRP may shift in favor of the latter at higher pressures.