Crystallographic characterisation of Ti(IV) piperazine complexes and their exploitation for the ring opening polymerisation of rac-lactide.

In this paper a series of eight Ti(IV) piperazine based complexes have been prepared and fully characterised in the solid-state by X-ray crystallography and in solution via NMR spectroscopy. In the solid-state either Ti(2)(L)(O(i)Pr)(6) or Ti(2)(L)(2)(O(i)Pr)(4) were observed depending upon the nature of the starting ligand. For complexes with less sterically demanding ligands (1H(2) and 2H(2)) an equilibrium was observed: 2 Ti(2)(L)(O(i)Pr)(6) ⇔ Ti(2)(L)(2)(O(i)Pr)(4) + 2 Ti(O(i)Pr)(4). The thermodynamic properties (ΔG, ΔH and ΔS) have been investigated via variable temperature NMR spectroscopy. With more sterically demanding ligands (3-8H(2)) the Ti(2)(L)(O(i)Pr)(6) form was the most prevalent in the solid-state and in solution. These complexes have been tested for the production of polylactide under melt and solution conditions with high conversions being obtained.