From Neutral Zn4O4 Clusters to a Cationic ZnO Dimer in Solution

Exploring Planar-Chiral Amino Siloxides

We present the synthesis, structure, and exemplary reactivity of siloxides with a planar-chiral N,N-dimethylaminomethylferrocene backbone. Several zinc complexes based on the racemic as well as the enantiomerically pure silanol were synthesized in the presence of water and crystallographically characterized, and their behavior in solution was examined. The chiral probe present in this system is a valuable tool for identifying the structure in solution. Furthermore, the zinc siloxides exhibit a comparable reactivity to the corresponding silanols. Therefore, they can be regarded as "masked" silanols, especially when the silanols are preparatively inaccessible.