s-Block metal complexes of superbulky (tBu3Si)2N-: a new weakly coordinating anion?

Sterically hindered amide anions have found widespread application as deprotonation agents or as ligands to stabilize metals in unusual coordination geometries or oxidation states. The use of bulky amides has also been advantageous in catalyst design. Herein we present s-block metal chemistry with one of the bulkiest known amide ligands: (tBu3Si)2N- (abbreviated: tBuN-). The parent amine (tBuNH), introduced earlier by Wiberg, is extremely resistant to deprotonation (even with nBuLi/KOtBu superbases) but can be deprotonated slowly with a blue Cs+/e- electride formed by addition of Cs0 to THF. (tBuN)Cs crystallized as a separated ion-pair, even without cocrystallized solvent. As salt-metathesis reactions with (tBuN)Cs are sluggish and incomplete, it has only limited use as an amide transfer reagent. However, ball-milling with LiI led to quantitative formation of (tBuN)Li and CsI. Structural characterization shows that (tBuN)Li is a monomeric contact ion-pair with a relatively short N-Li bond, an unusual T-shaped coordination geometry around N and extremely short Li⋯Me anagostic interactions. Crystal structures are compared with Li and Cs complexes of less bulky amide ligands (iPr3Si)2N- (iPrN-) and (Me3Si)2N- (MeN-). DFT calculations show trends in the geometries and electron distributions of amide ligands of increasing steric bulk (MeN- < iPrN- < tBuN-) and confirm that tBuN- is a rare example of a halogen-free weakly coordinating anion.

Tricyanoborane-Functionalized Anionic N-Heterocyclic Carbenes: Adjustment of Charge and Stereo-Electronic Properties

The 1-methyl-3-(tricyanoborane)imidazolin-2-ylidenate anion (2) was obtained in high yield by deprotonation of the B(CN)3 -methylimidazole adduct 1. Regarding charge and stereo-electronic properties, anion 2 closes the gap between well-known neutral NHCs and the ditopic dianionic NHC, the 1,3-bis(tricyanoborane)imidazolin-2-ylidenate dianion (IIb). The influence of the number of N-bonded tricyanoborane moieties on the σ-donating and π-accepting properties of NHCs was assessed by quantum chemical calculations and verified by experimental data on 2, IIb, and 1,3-dimethylimidazolin-2-ylidene (IMe, IIa). Therefore NHC 2, which acts as a ditopic ligand via the carbene center and the cyano groups, was reacted with alkyl iodides, selenium, and [Ni(CO)4 ] yielding alkylated imidazoles 3 and 4, the anionic selenium adduct 5, and the anionic nickel tricarbonyl complex 8, respectively. The results of this study prove that charge, number of coordination sites, buried volume (%Vbur ) and σ-donor and π-acceptor abilities of NHCs can be effectively fine-tuned via the number of tricyanoborane substituents.

Recent Progress in Enolonium Chemistry under Metal-Free Conditions

Umpolung approach through inversion of the polarity of conventional enolates, has opened up an unprecedented opportunity in the cross-coupling via alkylation. The enolonium equivalents can be accessed either by hypervalent iodine reagents, activation/oxidation of amides, or the oxidation of alkynes. Under umpolung conditions, highly basic conditions required for classical enolate chemistry can be avoided, and they can couple with unmodified nucleophiles such as heteroatom donors and electron-rich arenes.

Synergic Deprotonation Generates Alkali-Metal Salts of Tethered Fluorenide-NHC Ligands Co-Complexed to Alkali-Metal Amides

Synergic combinations of alkali-metal hydrocarbyl/amide reagents were used to synthesise saturated N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands tethered to a fluorenide anion through deprotonation of a spirocyclic precursor, whereas conventional bases were not successful. The Li2 derivatives displayed a bridging amide between two Li atoms within the fluorenide-NHC pocket, whereas the Na2 and K2 analogues displayed extended solid-state structures with the fluorenide-NHC ligand chelating one alkali metal centre.

Bis(trimethylsilyl)amide complexes of s-block metals with bidentate ether and amine ligands

The synthesis of the bis(trimethylsilyl)amide complexes of alkali and alkaline-earth metals with bidentate ether and amine bases 1,2-bis(dimethylamino)ethane (tmeda), dimethyl-methoxyethylamine (dmmea), and 1,2-dimethoxyethane (dme) succeedsviaaddition of these bases to coligand-free complexes orvialigand exchange of thf adducts.

Straightforward synthesis of rubidium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and complexes of the alkali metal bis(trimethylsilyl)amides with weakly coordinating 2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran

Rubidium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide (rubidium hexamethyldisilazanide, Rb(hmds)) is accessible on a large scale with excellent yields via a magnetite-catalyzed metalation of hexamethyldisilazane (H(hmds)) in liquid ammonia. Recrystallization of solvent-free alkali metal hexamethyldisilazanides [A(hmds)]n of sodium to cesium from solutions containing 2,2,5,5-tetramethyltetrahydrofuran (Me4THF, thf*) yields the dinuclear complexes [(thf*)A(hmds)]2, which show a rather asymmetric coordination behavior of the bulky ether ligand with strongly bent A-A-O moieties for the heavier K, Rb, and Cs congeners, whereas in the Na complex, the ether ligand is clamped between the trimethylsilyl groups. In hydrocarbon solutions, dissociation of these compounds is observed leading to the liberation of this bulky and weakly binding cyclic ether.

NHCs in Main Group Chemistry

Since the discovery of the first stable N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) in the beginning of the 1990s, these divalent carbon species have become a common and available class of compounds, which have found numerous applications in academic and industrial research. Their important role as two-electron donor ligands, especially in transition metal chemistry and catalysis, is difficult to overestimate. In the past decade, there has been tremendous research attention given to the chemistry of low-coordinate main group element compounds. Significant progress has been achieved in stabilization and isolation of such species as Lewis acid/base adducts with highly tunable NHC ligands. This has allowed investigation of numerous novel types of compounds with unique electronic structures and opened new opportunities in the rational design of novel organic catalysts and materials. This Review gives a general overview of this research, basic synthetic approaches, key features of NHC-main group element adducts, and might be useful for the broad research community.