title: Low-coordinate chromium siloxides: the "box" [Cr(mu-Cl)(mu-OSitBu3)]4, distorted trigonal [(tBu3SiO)3Cr][Na(benzene)] and [(tBu3SiO)3Cr][Na(dibenzo-18-c-6)], and trigonal (tBu3SiO)3Cr.
abstract: Treatment of CrCl(2)(THF)(2) with NaOSi(t)Bu(3) afforded the tetrameric "box" [Cr(mu-Cl)(mu-OSi(t)Bu(3))](4) (1, X-ray). THF cleaved 1 to provide trans-(silox)ClCr(THF)(2) (2), whereas degradation of 1 with 4-picoline caused disproportionation and the generation of trans-Cl(2)Cr(4-pic)(2) and trans-(silox)(2)Cr(4-pic)(x) (n = 2, 3; 3, 3-4-pic). Chromous centers in 1 were antiferromagnetically coupled, and density functional calculations on the high-spin (multiplicity = 17) model [Cr(mu-Cl)(mu-OH)](4) (1') revealed that its singly occupied 3d orbitals spanned an energy range of approximately 2 eV. The addition of 8 equiv of Na(silox) to 1 yielded [((t)Bu(3)SiO)Cr(mu-OSi(t)Bu(3))(2)]Na.C(6)H(6) (4, Y shaped, angle OCrO(Na) = 91.28(7) degrees), and treatment of 4 with dibenzo-18-crown-6 produced [(silox)(3)Cr][Na(dibenzo-18-crown-6)] (5, angle OCrO = approximately 120 degrees, (120 + alpha) degrees, (120 - alpha) degrees). Calculations of [((t)Bu(3)SiO)Cr(mu-OSi(t)Bu(3))(2)]Na (4') and Cr(silox)(3)(-) (5') provided reasonable matches with the experimental geometries (X-ray). The trigonal chromic derivative (silox)(3)Cr (6) was synthesized from CrCl(3)(THF)(3) for structural and calculational comparisons to the chromous derivatives.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Baker Laboratory, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Orson L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Sydora
authors.forename: Peter T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Wolczanski
authors.forename: Emil B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Lobkovsky
authors.forename: Corneliu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Buda
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Cundari