Rare-earth metal bis(tetramethylaluminate) complexes supported by a sterically crowded triazenido ligand.

Complexes [NNN]Ln(AlMe(4))(2) (Ln = Y, La, Nd, Lu) bearing the sterically demanding aryl-substituted triazenido ligand [(Tph)(2)N(3)] (Tph = [2-(2,4,6-iPr(3)C(6)H(2))C(6)H(4)]) can be obtained from homoleptic complexes Ln(AlMe(4))(3) in moderate yields, both via protonolysis with [(Tph)(2)N(3)]H and a salt metathesis reaction pathway utilizing [(Tph)(2)N(3)]K. In the solid state the Y and Lu derivatives are isostructural, with both tetramethylaluminate groups coordinated in an eta(2) fashion, while one of the [AlMe(4)] ligands of the Nd derivative features a distorted eta(2) coordination mode. Due to the high affinity of the triazenido ligand toward the more Lewis-acidic and harder aluminium cation compared to the softer rare-earth metal centres, ligand redistribution is observed in solution and formation of byproduct [(Tph)(2)N(3)]AlMe(2) is prominent.

Homoleptic heavy alkaline Earth and europium triazenides.

The sigma-bond metathesis reaction between PhSiH(3) and the heteroleptic metal pentafluorophenyl compounds [Dmp(Tph)N(3)MC(6)F(5)(thf)(n)] (Dmp = 2,6-Mes(2)C(6)H(3) with Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2); Tph = 2-TripC(6)H(4) with Trip = 2,4,6-(i)Pr(3)C(6)H(2); n = 1, 2; M = Sr, Ba, Eu) supported by sterically crowded, biphenyl- and terphenyl-substituented triazenido ligands afforded the first homoleptic stontium, barium, and europium triazenides [M{N(3)Dmp(Tph)}(2)] {M = Sr (2), Ba (4), Eu (5)}. Crystallization of 2 from an n-heptane/1,2-dimethoxyethane mixture gave the complex [Sr{N(3)Dmp(Tph)}(2)(dme)] (3). All new compounds have been characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy (not 5), elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy (5 only), and X-ray crystallography.

Isostructural potassium and thallium salts of sterically crowded triazenes: a structural and computational study.

Because of their similar cationic radii, potassium and thallium(I) compounds are usually regarded as closely related. Homologous molecular species containing either K(+) or Tl(+) are very rare, however. We have synthesized potassium and thallium salts MN3RR' derived from the biphenyl- or terphenyl-substituted triazenes Tph2N3H (1a), Dmp(Mph)N3H (1b), Dmp(Tph)N3H (1c), and (Me4Ter)2N3H (1d) (Dmp=2,6-Mes 2C6H3 with Mes=2,4,6-Me3C6H2; Me4Ter=2,6-(3,5-Me2C6H3)2C6H3; Mph=2-MesC6H4; Tph=2-TripC6H4 with Trip=2,4,6-(i)Pr3C6H2).

Inverse aggregation behavior of alkali-metal triazenides.

Higher aggregated alkali-metal compounds are usually obtained with increasing radius of the metal. Alkali-metal salts derived from the sterically crowded triazenido ligand Tph2N3H [Tph = C6H3-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-iPr3)2] do not obey this principle. Interestingly, these compounds show inverse aggregation behavior in the solid state: the potassium and cesium salts crystallize as discrete monomers in which the cations interact with flanking arene rings of the diaryltriazenido ligands, whereas the lithium derivative is dimeric with a more conventional heteroatom-bridged structure.