Poly(styryl)bipyridine: synthesis and formation of transition-metal complexes and some of their physical, chemical, and catalytic properties

Poly(styryl)bipyridine, 1, is produced from the reaction of lithiated polystyrene with bipyridine in tetrahydrofuran. Under our conditions, bipyridine becomes bound to 1615% of the phenyl residues. The reaction of 1 with a variety of transition-metal salts can be carried out in a variety of swelling solvents and results in formation of polymer-bound bipyridine transition-metal complexes. The extent of metal incorporation depends on solvent, metal ion concentration, and the identity of the metal species. Zerovalent metal complexes such as@-Ph-bpy-M(CO), (M = Cr, Mo, W) are readily prepared from the reaction of 1 with the metal hexacarbonyl complexes. (Poly(styry1)bipyridyl)palladium acetate is an active catalyst for the hydrogenation of olefins at ambient pressure and temperature. It can also be used to catalyze the acetoxylation of benzene; however, the percent conversion in this case is rather low.