Structural studies of (rac)-BIPHEN organomagnesiates and intermediates in the halogen-metal exchange of 2-Bromopyridine

Four lithium magnesiate complexes (2−5) containing the dianionic (rac)-BIPHEN ligand have been prepared and characterized using X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. (THF)3·Li2Mg{(rac)-BIPHEN}nBu2, 2, (THF)3·Li2Mg{(rac)-BIPHEN}(CH2SiMe3)2, 3, and (THF)2·Li2Mg{(rac)-BIPHEN}neoPe2, 4, have been prepared by complexation of the appropriate dialkylmagnesium compound with in situ prepared Li(rac)-BIPHEN in a mixture of hydrocarbon/THF. For all structures, the Mg centers are four-coordinate (and retain the alkyl groups); however, in 2 and 3 the two Li centers have different coordination spheres (one binding to one THF molecule, the other to two). The solid-state structures of 2 and 3 are essentially isostructural with that of 4 except that both Li atoms in this molecule have equivalent coordination spheres. The solution behaviors of these three molecules have been studied by 1H, 13C, and DOSY NMR spectroscopy. During the synthesis of 2, it was discovered that a (rac)-BIPHEN-rich (or n-butyl-free) lithium magnesiate, (THF)4Li2Mg{(rac)-BIPHEN}fo2, 2b, could be isolated. The lithium precursor to 2−5, (THF)4·Li4{(rac)-BIPHEN)}2, 1, has also been isolated. Within the molecular structure of this tetranuclear complex, there are three different Li coordination environments. Finally, 2 has already shown promise as a reagent in a halogen−metal exchange reaction with 2-bromopyridine. The structural chemistry at play in this reaction was probed by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. The organometallic intermediate pyridyl-magnesiated 5, (THF)2·Li2Mg{(rac)-BIPHEN}(2-pyridyl)2, was isolated in high yield

Structurally defined zincated and aluminated complexes of ferrocene made by alkali-metal-synergistic syntheses

Reaction of ferrocene with 1 or 2 molar equiv of the synergistic-operative bimetallic sodium zincate base TMEDA·Na(μ-TMP)(μ-tBu)Zn(tBu) yields mainly mono- or dizincated complexes TMEDA·Na(μ-TMP)[μ-(C5H4)Fe(C5H5)]ZntBu (1) and [TMEDA·Na(μ-TMP)Zn(tBu)]2(C5H4)2Fe (2). Likewise, the separated pairing of Li(TMP) and (TMP)AliBu2 in the presence of THF can mono- or dimetalate ferrocene in a synergistic two-step lithiation/trans-metal-trapping protocol to give THF·Li(μ-TMP)[μ-(C5H4)Fe(C5H5)]Al(iBu)2 (4) or [THF·Li(μ-TMP)Al(iBu)2]2(C5H4)2Fe (5). In the absence of Lewis donating cosolvents, a 4-fold excess of the sodium zincate appears to produce an unprecedented 4-fold zincated ferrocene of formula Na4(TMP)4Zn4(tBu)4[(C5H3)2Fe] (3), whereas when donor solvent is withheld from the lithium/aluminum pairing, only dimetalation of ferrocene is possible. Tetrametalation seems to be inhibited by the in situ generation of TMP(H) via amido basicity, which then acts as a Lewis donor toward lithium, preventing inverse-crown formation and preferentially forming the Lewis acid–Lewis base adduct [TMP(H)·Li(μ-TMP)Al(iBu)2]2(C5H4)2Fe (6). With the exception of 3, all aforementioned complexes have been characterized by X-ray crystallography, while 1–6 have also been studied by solution NMR spectroscopic studies

Main group multiple C-H/N-H bond activation of a diamine and isolation of a molecular dilithium zincate hydride : experimental and DFT evidence for Alkali metal-zinc synergistic effects

The surprising transformation of the saturated diamine (iPr)NHCH2CH2NH(iPr) to the unsaturated diazaethene [(iPr)NCH=CHN(iPr)](2-) via the synergic mixture nBuM, (tBu)(2)Zn and TMEDA (where M = Li, Na; TMEDA = N, N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine) has been investigated by multinuclear NMR spectroscopic studies and DFT calculations. Several pertinent intermediary and related compounds (TMEDA)Li[(iPr)NCH2CH2NH(iPr)]Zn(tBu)(2) (3), (TMEDA)Li[(iPr)NCH2CH2N(iPr)]Zn(tBu) (5), {(THF)Li[(iPr)NCH2CH2N(iPr)]Zn(tBu)}(2) (6), and {(TMEDA)Na[(iPr)NCH2CH2N(iPr)]Zn(tBu)}(2) (11), characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, are discussed in relation to their role in the formation of (TMEDA)M[(iPr)NCH=CHN(iPr)]Zn(tBu) (M = Li, 1; Na, 10). In addition, the dilithio zincate molecular hydride [(TMEDA)Li](2)[(iPr)NCH2CH2N(iPr)]Zn(tBu)H 7 has been synthesized from the reaction of (TMEDA)Li[(iPr)NCH2CH2NH(iPr)]Zn(tBu)(2) 3 with nBuLi(TMEDA) and also characterized by both X-ray crystallographic and NMR spectroscopic studies. The retention of the Li-H bond of 7 in solution was confirmed by Li-7-H-1 HSQC experiments. Also, the Li-7 NMR spectrum of 7 in C6D6 solution allowed for the rare observation of a scalar (1)J(Li-H) coupling constant of 13.3 Hz. Possible mechanisms for the transformation from diamine to diazaethene, a process involving the formal breakage of four bonds, have been determined computationally using density functional theory. The dominant mechanism, starting from (TMEDA)Li[(iPr)NCH2CH2N(iPr)]Zn(tBu) (4), involves the formation of a hydride intermediate and leads directly to the observed diazaethene product. In addition the existence of 7 in equilibrium with 4 through the dynamic association and dissociation of a (TMEDA)LiH ligand, also provides a secondary mechanism for the formation of the diazaethene. The two reaction pathways (i.e., starting from 4 or 7) are quite distinct and provide excellent examples in which the two distinct metals in the system are able to interact synergically to catalyze this otherwise challenging transformation