Synthesis of a TREN in which the aryl substituents are part of a 45 atom macrocycle.

A substituted TREN has been prepared in which the aryl groups in (ArylNHCH2CH2)3N are substituted at the 3- and 5-positions with a total of six OCH2(CH2)nCH═CH2 groups (n = 1, 2, 3). Molybdenum nitride complexes, [(ArylNCH2CH2)3N]Mo(N), have been isolated as adducts that contain B(C6F5)3 bound to the nitride. Two of these [(ArylNCH2CH2)3N]Mo(NB(C6F5)3) complexes (n = 1 and 3) were crystallographically characterized. After removal of the borane from [(ArylNCH2CH2)3N]Mo(NB(C6F5)3) with PMe3, ring-closing olefin metathesis (RCM) was employed to join the aryl rings with OCH2(CH2)nCH═CH(CH2)nCH2O links (n = 1-3) between them. RCM worked best with a W(O)(CHCMe3)(Me2Pyr)(OHMT)(PMe2Ph) catalyst (OHMT = hexamethylterphenoxide, Me2Pyr = 2,5-dimethylpyrrolide) and n = 3. The macrocyclic ligand was removed from the metal through hydrolysis and isolated in 70-75% yields relative to the borane adducts. Crystallographic characterization showed that the macrocyclic TREN ligand in which n = 3 contains three cis double bonds. Hydrogenation produced a TREN in which the three links are saturated, i.e., O(CH2)10O.