Synthesis and structural characterization of a series of dimeric metal(II) imido complexes {M(mu-NAr(#))}2 [M = Ge, Sn, Pb; Ar(#) = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Me3)2] and the related monomeric primary amido derivatives M{N(H)Ar(#)}2 (M = Ge, Sn, Pb): spectroscopic manifestations of secondary metal-ligand interactions.

The solvent-free reaction of M{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(2) (M = Ge, Sn, or Pb) with the sterically encumbered primary amine 2,6-dimesitylaniline Ar(#)NH(2) [Ar(#) = C(6)H(3)-2,6(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3))(2)] at ca. 165-175 degrees C afforded the highly colored imido dimers {M(mu-NAr(#))}(2), where M = Ge (1), Sn (2), or Pb (3), with disilylamine elimination. The compounds were characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography and heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy.