Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of a Terminal Cadmium Hydride Compound, [κ-Tism]CdH.

The terminal cadmium hydride compound, [κ-Tism]CdH, which features the tris[(1-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-yl)dimethylsilyl]methyl ligand, may be obtained the reactions of either [κ-Tism]CdN(SiMe) or [Tism]CdOSiPh with PhSiH. The Cd-H bond of [κ-Tism]CdH undergoes (a) metathesis reactions with MeI, MeSiX (X = Cl, Br, I, NCO), and MeSnX (X = Cl, Br, I) to afford the corresponding [Tism]CdX derivative, (b) insertion with CO and CS to afford respectively [Tism]Cd(κ-OCH) and [Tism]Cd(κ-SCH), and (c) hydride abstraction with B(CF) to afford {[Tism]Cd}[HB(CF)] that possesses a rare trigonal monopyramidal geometry for cadmium.