Multistep self-assembly of heteroleptic magnesium and sodium-magnesium benzamidinate complexes

Forret, Robert and Kennedy, Alan R. and Klett, Jan and Mulvey, Robert E. and Robertson, Stuart D. (2010) Multistep self-assembly of heteroleptic magnesium and sodium-magnesium benzamidinate complexes. Organometallics, 29 (6). pp. 1436-1442. ISSN 0276-7333 (https://doi.org/10.1021/om9010824)

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Abstract

Reaction of the magnesium bis-alkyl Mg(CH2SiMe3)(2) and the sodium amide NaHMDS (where HMDS = N(SiMe3)(2)) with benzonitrile yields the homometallic heteroleptic complex [PhC(NSiMe3)(2)Mg{mu-NC(CH2SiMe3)Ph}](2) (1). It appears that at least six independent reactions must have occurred in this one-pot reaction to arrive at this mixed benzamidinate ketimido product. Two benzonitrile solvated derivatives of Mg(CH2SiMe3)(2) (5a and 5b) have been synthesized, with 5a crystallographically characterized as a centrosymmetric (MgC)(2) cyclodimer. When, the components of 5a are allowed to react for longer, partial addition of the Mg-alkyl unit across the C N triple bond occurs to yield the trimeric species (Me3SiCH2)(2)Mg-3[mu-N=C(CH2SiMe3)Ph](4)center dot 2N CPh (6), with bridging ketimido groups and terminal alkyl groups. Finally, using the same starting materials as that which produced 1, but altering their order of addition, a magnesium bis-alkyl unit is inserted into the Na-N bonds of a benzamidinate species to yield a new sodium magnesiate complex, PhC(NSiMe3)(2)Mg(mu-CH2SiMe3)(2)Na center dot 2TMEDA (7). The formation of 7 represents a novel (insertion) route to mixed-metal species of this kind and is the first Such example to contain a bidentate terminal anion attached to the divalent metal center. All new species are characterized by H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy and where appropriate by IR spectroscopy. The solid-state structures of complexes 1, 5a, and 7 have also been determined and are disclosed within.

ORCID iDs

Forret, Robert, Kennedy, Alan R. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3652-6015, Klett, Jan, Mulvey, Robert E. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1015-2564 and Robertson, Stuart D. ORCID logoORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9330-8770;
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