Synthesis of a bulky bis(imino)pyridine compound: a methodology for systematic variation of steric bulk and energetic implications for metalation.

A new bis(imino)pyridine compound, 2,6-{(2,6-Me(2)-C(6)H(3))NC(t-Bu)}(2)C(5)H(3)N (), has been synthesized with t-butyl substituents on the imino carbon atoms. The stepwise synthetic method for assembly of this compound is novel. Compound and its synthetic precursor, mono(imino)pyridine , have been characterized using single-crystal X-ray diffraction.