Trimethylsilylated Allyl Complexes of the Heavy Alkali Metals, M[1,3-(SiMe3)2C3H3](thf)n (M = K, Cs)

Halide metathesis in overdrive: mechanochemical synthesis of a heterometallic group 1 allyl complex

As a synthesis technique, halide metathesis (n RM + M'X_n → R_nM' + n MX) normally relies for its effectiveness on the favorable formation of a metal halide byproduct (MX), often aided by solubility equilibria in solution. Owing to the lack of significant thermodynamic driving forces, intra-alkali metal exchange is one of the most challenging metathetical exchanges to attempt, especially when conducted without solvent. Nevertheless, grinding together the bulky potassium allyl [KA']_∞ (A' = [1,3-(SiMe₃)₂C₃H₃]^–) and CsI produces the heterometallic complex [CsKA'₂]_∞ in low yield, which was crystallographically characterized as a coordination polymer that displays site disorder of the K⁺ and Cs⁺ ions. The entropic benefits of mixed Cs/K metal centers, but more importantly, the generation of multiple intermolecular K^…CH₃ and Cs^…CH₃ interactions in [CsKA'₂]_∞, enable an otherwise unfavorable halide metathesis to proceed with mechanochemical assistance. From this result, we demonstrate that ball milling and unexpected solid-state effects can permit seemingly unfavored reactions to occur.

Introducing a Hydrogen-Bond Donor into a Weakly Nucleophilic Brønsted Base: Alkali Metal Hexamethyldisilazides (MHMDS, M=Li, Na, K, Rb and Cs) with Ammonia

Alkali metal 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexamethyldisilazide (MHMDSs) are one of the most utilised weakly nucleophilic Brønsted bases in synthetic chemistry and especially in natural product synthesis. Like lithium organics, they aggregate depending on the employed donor solvents. Thus, they show different reactivity and selectivity as a function of their aggregation and solvation state. To date, monomeric LiHMDS with monodentate donor bases was only characterised in solution. Since the first preparation of LiHMDS in 1959 by Wannagat and Niederprüm, all efforts to crystallise monomeric LiHMDS in the absence of chelating ligands failed. Herein, we present ammonia adducts of LiHMDS, NaHMDS, KHMDS, RbHMDS and CsHMDS with unprecedented aggregation motifs: 1) The hitherto missing monomeric key compound in the LiHMDS aggregation architectures. Monomeric crystal structures of trisolvated LiHMDS (1) and NaHMDS (2), showing unique intermolecular hydrogen bonds, 2) the unprecedented tetrasolvated KHMDS (3) and RbHMDS (4) dimers and 3) the disolvated CsHMDS (5) dimer with very close intermolecular Si-CH3 ⋅⋅⋅Cs s-block "agostic" interactions have been prepared and characterised by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis.

A magnesium-based multifunctional metal-organic framework: synthesis, thermally induced structural variation, selective gas adsorption, photoluminescence and heterogeneous catalytic study

Three magnesium based carboxylate framework systems were prepared through a temperature-dependent synthesis. The compounds were synthesized by a hydrothermal method and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. A stepwise increase in the temperature of the medium resulted a stepwise increase in the dimensionality of the network, ultimately leading to the formation of a new 2D layered alkaline earth metal-organic framework (MOF) compound, {[Mg2(HL)2(H2O)4]·H2O}n (1) (H3L = pyrazole-3,5-dicarboxylate). Compound 1 selectively adsorbs hydrogen (H2) (ca. 0.56 wt% at 77 K) over nitrogen at 1 atm and demonstrates a strong blue fluorescent emission band at 480 nm (λ(max)) upon excitation at 270 nm. Notably, the 2D framework compound efficiently catalyzes the aldol condensation reactions of various aromatic aldehydes with ketones in a heterogeneous medium under environmentally friendly conditions. The catalyst can be recycled and reused several times without any significant loss of activity.

Bis(allyl)zinc revisited: sigma versus pi bonding of allyl coordination

The reinvestigation of two allyl zinc compounds, parent bis(allyl)zinc [Zn(C(3)H(5))(2)] (1) and 2-methallyl chloro zinc [Zn(C(4)H(7))Cl] (2), revealed two new coordination modes in the solid state for the allyl ligand, viz cis- and trans-μ(2)-η(1):η(1). These results call for modification of the conventional interpretation of zinc-allyl interactions. Computational results indicate that the classical η(3)-bonding mode of the allyl ligand is not favored in zinc compounds. A rare case of a zinc-olefin interaction in the dimer of [Zn(η(1)-C(3)H(5))(OC(C(3)H(5))Ph(2))] was found in the monoinsertion product of 1 with benzophenone.

Coordination polymers with pyridine-2,4,6-tricarboxylic acid and alkaline-earth/lanthanide/transition metals: synthesis and X-ray structures

Pyridine-2,4,6-tricarboxylic acid (ptcH(3)) reacts with Cd(II), Mn(II), Ni(II), Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II), Ba(II), Dy(III) salts forming different products depending on the reaction conditions. In the presence of pyridine at room temperature the acetate, chloride or nitrate salt of Cd(II) breaks the ligand to form an open framework structure with the empirical formula, {[Cd(Ox)(H(2)O)(2)]H(2)O}(n) (Ox = oxalate), 1. In the absence of pyridine, no crystalline compound could be isolated at room temperature (RT). However, under hydrothermal conditions and in the absence of pyridine, a discrete tetrameric complex with the formula, {[Cd(2)(cda)(2)(H(2)O)(4)](H(2)O)(3)}(2) (cdaH(2) = 4-hydroxypyridine-2,6-dicarboxylic acid), 2, is formed where the carboxylate group at the 4-position of the ligand is reduced to a hydroxyl group. When Ni(II), Mn(II), Mg(II), Ca(II), Sr(II), Ba(II), Dy(III) salts are used in place of Cd(II), no crystalline product could be isolated at RT. But under hydrothermal conditions, coordination polymers ({[Ni(1.5)(ptc)(pip)(0.5)(H(2)O)(4)].H(2)O}(n), (pip = piperazine), 3; {Mn(1.5)(ptc).2H(2)O}(n), 4; {Mg(3)(ptc)(2).8H(2)O}(n), 5; {[Mg(ptc)(H(2)O)(2)].1/2[Mg(H(2)O)(6)].H(2)O}(n), 6; {Ca(1.5)(ptc).2H(2)O}(n), 7; {Sr(1.5)(ptc).5H(2)O}(n), 8; {[Ba(ptc)(H(2)O)][Ba(ptcH(2))H(2)O]}(n), 9; {[Dy(ptc).3H(2)O].H(2)O}(n), 10) are formed. The structures exhibit different dimensionality depending on the nature of the metal ions. In 1 a discrete acyclic water hexamer is also identified. All the compounds are characterized in the solid state by X-ray crystallography, IR and elemental analysis.