Reactions of Li- and Yb-coordinated N,N'-bis(trimethylsilyl)-beta-diketiminates: one- and two-electron reductions, deprotonation, and C-N bond cleavage.

The synthesis and characterisation of novel Li and Yb complexes is reported, in which the monoanionic beta-diketiminato ligand has been (i) reduced (SET or 2 [times] SET), (ii) deprotonated, or (iii) C-N bond-cleaved. Reduction of the lithium beta-diketiminate Li(L(R,R'))[L(R,R')= N(SiMe(3))C(R)CHC(R')N(SiMe(3))] with Li metal gave the dilithium derivative [Li(tmen)(mu-L(R,R'))Li(OEt(2))](R = R'= Ph; or, R = Ph, R[prime or minute]= Bu(t)). When excess of Li was used the dimeric trilithium [small beta]-diketiminate [Li(3)(L(R,R[prime or minute]))(tmen)](2)(, R = R'= C(6)H(4)Bu(t)-4 = Ar) was obtained. Similar reduction of [Yb(L(R,R'))(2)Cl] gave [Yb[(mu-L(R,R'))Li(thf)](2)](, R = R[prime or minute]= Ph; or, R = R'= C(6)H(4)Ph-4 = Dph). Use of the Yb-naphthalene complex instead of Li in the reaction with [Yb(L(Ph,Ph))(2)] led to the polynuclear Yb clusters [Yb(3)(L(Ph,Ph))(3)(thf)], [Yb(3)(L(Ph,Ph))(2)(dme)(2)], or [Yb(5)(L(Ph,Ph))(L(1))(L(2))(L(3))(thf)(4)] [L(1)= N(SiMe(3))C(Ph)CHC(Ph)N(SiMe(2)CH(2)), L(2)= NC(Ph)CHC(Ph)H, L(3)= N(SiMe(2)CH(2))] depending on the reaction conditions and stoichiometry. The structures of the crystalline complexes 4, 6x21/2(hexane), 5(C(6)D(6)), and have been determined by X-ray crystallography (and have been published).