((2-Hydroxynapthalen-1-yl)methylene)aniline derived Schiff base adducts of MTO: Synthesis and catalytic application

Equimolar reactions of the derivatives of ((2-hydroxynapthalen-1-yl)methylene)aniline with methyltrioxorhenium (MTO) lead to complexes 1–4, where MTO is coordinated via the oxygen of the former hydroxyl-group to MTO. The resulting complexes are very stable but not particularly catalytically active if no electron acceptor resides on the Schiff base. The electron withdrawing groups placed on the Schiff base ligand have the effect of increasing the catalytic activity but somewhat decrease the complex stability.