(MeLi)4(dem)1.5]infinity] and [(thf)3Li3M3[(NtBu)3S--how to reduce aggregation of parent methyllithium

Elucidating Solution-State Coordination Modes of Multidentate Neutral Amine Ligands with Group-1 Metal Cations: Variable-Temperature NMR Studies

Multidentate neutral amine ligands play vital roles in coordination chemistry and catalysis. In particular, these ligands are used to tune the reactivity of Group-1 metal reagents, such as organolithium reagents. Most, if not all, of these Group-1 metal reagent-mediated reactions occur in solution. However, the solution-state coordination behaviors of these ligands with Group-1 metal cations are poorly understood, compared to the plethora of solid-state structural studies based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies. In this work, we comprehensively mapped out the coordination modes with Group-1 metal cations for three multidentate neutral amine ligands: tridentate 1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (Me³TACN), tetradentate tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine (Me⁶Tren), and hexadentate N,N′,N″-tris-(2-N-diethylaminoethyl)-1,4,7-triaza-cyclononane (DETAN). The macrocycles in the Me³TACN and DETAN are identified as the rigid structural directing motif, with the sidearms of DETAN providing flexible “on-demand” coordination sites. In comparison, the Me⁶Tren ligand features more robust coordination, with the sidearms less likely to undergo the decoordinating–coordinating equilibrium. This work will provide a guidance for coordination chemists in applying these three ligands, in particular, the new DETAN ligand to design metal complexes which suit their purposes.

Combining variable-temperature nuclear magnetic resonance (VT NMR) and DFT calculations, this work elucidates the solution-state coordination modes of three multidentate neutral amine ligands with Group-1 metal cations. Our studies prove that two ligand-design building blocks, that is, N-macrocycle (TACN) and N-sidearms, act as structure-dictating and hemilabile coordinating sites, respectively. The concept could be utilized in designing new catalytic systems, which anchor the metal center on the macrocycle, while the sidearms serve as “on-demand” protective coordination sites.

Solvation Effects on the Structure and Stability of Alkali Metal Carbenoids

s-Block metal carbenoids are carbene synthons and applied in a myriad of organic transformations. They exhibit a strong structure-activity relationship, but this is only poorly understood due to the challenging high reactivity and sensitivity of these reagents. Here, we report on systematic VT and DOSY NMR studies, XRD analyses as well as DFT calculations on a sulfoximinoyl-substituted model system to explain the pronounced solvent dependency of the carbenoid stability. While the sodium and potassium chloride carbenoids showed high stabilities independent of the solvent, the lithium carbenoid was stable at room temperature in THF but decomposed at -10 °C in toluene. These divergent stabilities could be explained by the different structures formed in solution. In contrast to simple organolithium reagents, the monomeric THF-solvate was found to be more stable than the dimer in toluene, since the latter more readily forms direct Li/Cl interactions which facilitate decomposition via α-elimination.

Monometalated tribenzotriquinacene: exo and endo coordination of sodium and potassium with a rigid bowl-shaped hydrocarbon anion

Monometalated tribenzotriquinacene forms an exo coordinated arrangement with sodium, while potassium is found in an endo position inside the bowl.

Developing a hetero-alkali-metal chemistry of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide (TMP): stoichiometric and structural diversity within a series of lithium/sodium, lithium/potassium and sodium/potassium TMP compounds

Studied extensively in solution and in the solid state, Li(TMP) (TMP=2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidide) is an important utility reagent popular as a strongly basic, weakly nucleophilic tool for C-H metallation. Recently, there has been a surge in interest in mixed metal derivatives containing the bulky TMP anion. Herein, we start to develop hetero (alkali metal) TMP chemistry by reporting the N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA)-hemisolvated sodium-lithium cycloheterodimer [(tmeda)Na(μ-tmp)(2) Li], and its TMEDA-free variant [{Na(μ-tmp)Li(μ-tmp)}(∞)], which provides a rare example of a crystallographically authenticated polymeric alkali metal amide. Experimental observations suggest that the former is a kinetic intermediate en route to the latter thermodynamic product. Furthermore, a third modification, the mixed potassium-lithium-rich cycloheterotrimer [(tmeda)K(μ-tmp)Li(μ-tmp)Li(μ-tmp)], has also been synthesised and crystallographically characterised. On moving to the bulkier tridentate donor N,N,N',N'',N''-pentamethyldiethylenediamine (PMDETA), the additional ligation forces the sodium-lithium and potassium-dilithium ring species to open giving the acyclic arc-shaped complexes [(pmdeta)Na(μ-tmp)Li(tmp)] and [(pmdeta)K(μ-tmp)Li(μ-tmp)Li(tmp)], respectively. Completing the series, the potassium-lithium and potassium-sodium derivatives [(pmdeta)K(μ-tmp)(2) M] (M=Li, Na) have also been isolated as closed structures with a distinctly asymmetric central MN(2) K ring. Collectively, these seven new bimetallic compounds display five distinct structural motifs, four of which have never hitherto been witnessed in TMP chemistry and three of which are unprecedented in the vast structural library of alkali metal amide chemistry.

Meaningful structural descriptors from charge density

This paper provides a short introduction to the basics of electron density investigations. The two predominant approaches for the modelling and various interpretations of electron density distributions are presented. Their potential translations into chemical concepts are explained. The focus of the article lies on the deduction of chemical properties from charge density studies in some selected main group compounds. The relationship between the obtained numerical data and commonly accepted simple chemical concepts unfortunately is not always straightforward, and often the chemist relies on heuristic connections rather than rigorously defined ones. This article tries to demonstrate how charge density analyses can shed light on aspects of chemical bonding and reactivity resulting from the determined bonding situation. Sometimes this helps to identify misconceptions and sets the scene for new unconventional synthetic approaches.

Exploiting σ/π coordination isomerism to prepare homologous organoalkali metal (Li, Na, K) monomers with identical ligand sets

Tetraamine Me(6)TREN has been used as a scaffold support to provide coordinative saturation in the complexes PhCH(2)M⋅Me(6)TREN (M=Li, Na, K). The Li derivative displays a Li−−C σ interaction with a pyramidalized CH(2) both in the solid state and in solution, and represents the first example of η(4) coordination of Me(6)TREN to lithium. In the sodium derivative, the metal cation slips slightly towards the delocalized π electrons whilst maintaining a partial σ interaction with the CH(2) group. For the potassium case, coordinative saturation successfully yields the first monomeric benzylpotassium complex, in which the anion binds to the metal cation exclusively through its delocalized π system resulting in a planar CH(2) group.

Anatomy of long-lasting love affairs with lithium carbenoids: past and present status and future prospects

After a long adolescence, the chemistry of lithium carbenoids has currently been entering its maturity bringing a dowry of a more in-depth and less empirical knowledge of the structure and configurational stability of such double-faced intermediates; this, thanks in particular to the synergistic and harmonic cooperation between calculations and the most modern NMR techniques now at our disposal. Such knowledge has stimulated the development of fruitful stereoselective applications in the field of organic synthesis, providing in addition a rationale to observed selectivities. Such aspects together with the role played by aggregation and solvation on the structure-reactivity relationship are highlighted throughout this Minireview with selected examples extracted from recent literature.

The Body-Centered Cubic Structure of Methyllithium Tetramer Crystal: Staggered Methyl Conformation by Electrostatic Stabilization via Intratetramer Multipolarization

The methyllithium tetramer (CH3Li)4 structure in the bcc crystal has been theoretically optimized with the use of density functional theory calculations under the periodic boundary condition. The X-ray structure shows that the methyl-group conformation in tetramer in crystal takes the staggered form rather than the eclipsed form that is taken in the isolated tetramer, i.e., the crystal packing effect, and this has been reproduced for the first time. It is concluded that the staggered form is advantageous in crystal, as a whole, due to the larger electrostatic stabilization via the induced intratetramer multipolarization, although it should cause, simultaneously, smaller destabilization in intratetramer electronic energy.

S=N versus S+-N-: an experimental and theoretical charge density study

To elucidate the bonding situation in the widely discussed hypervalent sulfur nitrogen species, the charge density distributions rho(r) and related properties of four representative compounds, methyl(diimido)sulfinic acid H(NtBu)(2)SMe (1), methylene-bis(triimido)sulfonic acid H(2)C[S(NtBu)(2) (NHtBu)](2) (2), sulfurdiimide S(NtBu)(2) (3), and sulfurtriimide S(NtBu)(3) (4), were determined experimentally by high-resolution low-temperature X-ray diffraction experiments (T = 100 K). This set of molecules represents an ideal frame of reference for the comparison of SN bonding modes, because they contain short formal S=N double bonds as well as long S-N single bonds, some of them influenced by inter- or intramolecular hydrogen bonds. For comparison, the gas-phase ab initio calculations of the four model compounds, H(NMe)(2)SMe, H(2)C[S(NMe)(2)(NHMe)](2), S(NMe)(2), and S(NMe)(3), were performed. The topological features were found to be not particularly sensitive with respect to different substituents R (R = H, Me, tBu). In this paper, it is documented that theory and experiment differ in the eigenvalues of the Hessian matrix because of systematically differing positions of the bond critical points but agree very well concerning the spatial Laplacian distribution and the distinct polarization of all investigated sulfur-nitrogen bonds. Both recommend the S(+)-N(-) formulation of sulfur nitrogen bonds in 1 and 2 since all nitrogen atoms are found to be sp(3) hybridized. The planar SNx (x = 2, 3) units in the diimide 3 and the triimide 4 reveal characteristics of m-center-n-electron systems. For none of the investigated S-N bonds, a classical double bond formulation can be supported. This is further substantiated by the NBO/NRT approach. Valence expansion to more than eight electrons at the sulfur atom can definitely be excluded to explain the bonding.

The Crystal Structures of the Chiral Alkyllithium Bases [n-BuLi·(−)-Sparteine]2 and [Et2O·(i-PrLi)2·(−)-Sparteine]

The crystal structures of the two chiral alkyllithium bases [n-BuLi.(-)-sparteine]2 (1) and [Et2O.(i-PrLi)2.(-)-sparteine] (2) have been determined. For compound 1, a symmetric dimer is observed in the solid state, with two (-)-sparteine ligands coordinating to the lithium centers. Because of steric reasons, compound 2 crystallizes as an unsymmetric dimer with the four methyl groups pointing away from the sterically demanding (-)-sparteine ligand. Compound 2 contains one four-coordinate lithium center [coordinated to (-)-sparteine] and one three-coordinate lithium center (coordinated to Et2O). As a result of this arrangement, significantly different Li-C distances are found in the central four-membered ring of compound 2.