Towards Substrate-Reagent Interaction of Lochmann-Schlosser Bases in THF: Bridging THF Hides Potential Reaction Site of a Chiral Superbase

The metalation of N,N-dimethylaminomethylferrocene in THF by the superbasic mixture of ⁿ BuLi/KO^t Bu proceeds readily at low temperatures to afford a bimetallic Li₂ K₂ aggregate containing ferrocenyl anions and tert-butoxide. Starting from an enantiomerically enriched ortho-lithiated aminomethylferrocene, an enantiomerically pure superbase can be prepared. The molecular compound exhibits superbasic behavior deprotonating N,N-dimethylbenzylamine in the α-position and is also capable of deprotonating toluene. Quantum chemical calculations provide insight into the role of the bridging THF molecule to the possible substrate-reagent interaction. In addition, a benzylpotassium alkoxide adduct gives a closer look into the corresponding reaction site of the Lochmann-Schlosser base that is reported herein.

THF-solvated Heavy Alkali Metal Benzyl Compounds (Na, Rb, Cs): Defined Deprotonation Reagents for Alkali Metal Mediation Chemistry

The incorporation of heavy alkali metals into substrates is both challenging and essential for many reactions. Here, we report the formation of THF-solvated alkali metal benzyl compounds [PhCH2 M ⋅ (thf)n ] (M=Na, Rb, Cs). The synthesis was carried out by deprotonation of toluene with the bimetallic mixture n-butyllithium/alkali metal tert-butoxide and selective crystallization from THF of the defined benzyl compounds. Insights into the molecular structure in the solid as well as in solution state are gained by single crystal X-ray experiments and NMR spectroscopic studies. The compounds could be successfully used as alkali metal mediating reagents. The example of caesium showed the convenient use by deprotonating acidic C-H as well as N-H compounds to gain insight into the aminometalation using these reagents.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Structural Determination of Polynuclear Lithium Aggregates and Factors Affecting Their Aggregation

The reaction of [(mu3,mu3-EDBP)Li2]2[(mu3-nBu)Li(0.5Et2O)]2 (1) [EDBP-H2 = 2,2'-ethylidenebis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol)] with 1 equiv of ROH in toluene gave [(mu3,mu3-EDBP)Li2]2[(mu3-OR)Li]2 [R = Bn (2), CH2CH2OEt (3), and nBu (4)]. In the presence of 3 equiv of tetrahydrofuran (THF), the hexanuclear compound 1 slowly decomposed to an unusual pentanuclear Li complex, [(mu2,mu3-EDBP)2Li4(THF)2][(mu3-nBu)Li] (5). Further reaction of 5 with ROH gave [(mu2,mu3-EDBP)2Li4(THF)3][(mu4-OR)Li] [R = Bn (6), nBu (7), and CH2CH2OEt (8)] without a major change in its skeleton. Treatment of 2 with an excess of hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) yields [(mu2,mu2-EDBP)Li2(HMPA)2][(mu3-OBn)Li(HMPA)] (9). Compounds [(mu2,mu3-EDBP)2Li4(THF)][(mu4-OCH2CH2OEt)Li]2 (10) and [(mu2,mu2-EDBP)2Li4(mu4-OCH2CH2OEt)(HMPA)]-[Li(HMPA)4]+ (11) can be obtained by the reaction of 3 with an "oxygen-donor solvent" such as THF and HMPA, respectively. Among the compounds described above, 8 has shown great reactivity toward ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide, yielding polymers with very low polydispersity indexes in a wide range of monomer-to-initiator ratios.

Syntheses and structural characterization of the heavier alkali-metal stannates bearing the tripodal triamino framework: structural trends in the series of [MeSi(SiMe2N(4-CH3C6H4))3Sn][M] (M = Na, K, Rb)

Treatment of the lithium stannate [MeSi(SiMe(2)N(4-CH(3)C(6)H(4)))(3)SnLi(OEt(2))] (1) with AgCl yielded the corresponding distannane [MeSi(SiMe(2)N(4-CH(3)C(6)H(4)))(3)Sn](2) (2) as the product of an oxidative coupling in good yield. The distannane (2) underwent reductive cleavage with the heavier alkali metals (sodium, potassium, rubidium) in a non-coordinating solvent (toluene or cyclohexane), to afford the solvate-free stannates(II) [MeSi(SiMe(2)N(4-CH(3)C(6)H(4)))(3)Sn][M] (M = Na (3), K (4), and Rb (5)), which were structurally characterized. The Na atom in 3 is directly bonded to two of the three amido-N atoms of the stannate cage and additionally solvated by pi-coordination of a tolyl substituent of a neighboring stannate cage. In contrast, the group 1 metal cations in the two isomorphous compounds 4 and 5 are further removed from the nitrogen functions and are pi-coordinated by three tolyl arene rings. The Sn-K distances in 4 were found to be 3.635 and 3.870 A, whereas the Sn-Rb contacts in 5 are 3.708 and 3.908 A; these are the first such Sn-Rb bonding contacts to be characterized in a molecular compound by X-ray diffraction.

A novel 1:1 complex of potassium mikanin-3-O-sulfate with methanol

Mikanin-3-O-sulfate (1), in the form of its potassium salt, together with mikanin (2) and alpinetin (3) were isolated from Mikania micrantha. The crystal structures of K(1) x CH3OH, 2 and 3 x H2O were established by X-ray crystallography. The potassium ions in K(1) x CHO3H are bridged by O5, O7 and O8 to form a chain of face-sharing KO8 coordination polyhedra, from which the aglycon units are outstretched to form a polymeric molecular column. Adjacent molecular columns are linked by pi-pi stacking between parallel, intercalating aglycon units to form layers matching the (101) family of planes, which are further interconnected into a three-dimensional supramolecular assembly. Sulfation at 3-OH induced better co-planarity and conjugation of the rings.

Synthesis, characterization, and catalysis of mixed-ligand lithium aggregates, excellent initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide

Three novel mixed-ligand lithium aggregates, [(mu(3)-EDBP)Li(2)](2)[(mu(3)-(n)Bu)Li(0.5Et(2)O)](2) (1), [(mu(3)-EDBP)Li(2)](2)[(mu(3)-OBn)Li](2) (2), and [(mu(3)-EDBP)Li(2)](2)[(mu(3)-OCH(2)CH(2)OCH(2)CH(3))Li](2) (3), have been synthesized and structurally characterized. The reaction of 2,2'-ethylidene-bis(4,6-di-tert-butylphenol) (EDBP-H(2)) with 3.6 molar equiv of (n)BuLi gives 1 in high yield. 1 further reacts with benzyl alcohol and 2-ethoxyethanol respectively to yield the corresponding products 2 and 3. Experimental results show that 2 and 3 efficiently initiate the ring-opening polymerization of L-lactide in a controlled fashion, yielding polymers with very narrow polydispersity indexes in a wide range of monomer-to-initiator ratios.