title: Three-coordinate beryllium β-diketiminates: synthesis and reduction chemistry.
abstract: A series of mononuclear, heteroleptic beryllium complexes supported by the monoanionic β-diketiminate ligand [HC{CMeNDipp}(2)](-) (L; Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl) have been synthesized. Halide complexes of the form [LBeX] (X = Cl, I) and a bis(trimethylsilyl)amide complex were produced via salt metathesis routes. Alkylberyllium β-diketiminate complexes of the form [LBeR] (R = Me, (n)Bu) were obtained by salt metathesis from the chloride precursor [LBeCl]. Controlled hydrolysis of [LBeMe] afforded an air-stable, monomeric β-diketiminatoberyllium hydroxide complex. [LBeMe] also underwent facile protonolysis with alcohols to form the corresponding β-diketiminatoberyllium alkoxides [LBeOR] (R = Me, (t)Bu, Ph). High temperatures and prolonged reaction times were required for protonolysis of [LBeMe] with primary amines to yield the β-diketiminatoberyllium amide complexes [LBeNHR] (R = (n)Bu, CH(2)Ph, Ph). No reactions were observed between [LBeMe] and silanes, terminal acetylenes, or secondary amines. All compounds were characterized by (1)H, (13)C, and (9)Be NMR spectroscopy and, in most cases, by X-ray crystallography. Reduction of the beryllium chloride complex with potassium metal resulted in apparent hydrogen-atom transfer between two β-diketiminate backbones, yielding two dimeric, potassium chloride bridged diamidoberyllium species. X-ray analysis of a cocrystallized mixture of the 18-crown-6 adducts of these species allowed unambiguous identification of the two reduced diketiminate ligands, one of which had been deprotonated at a backbone methyl substituent and the other reduced by hydride addition to the β-imine position. It is proposed that this process occurs by the formation of an unobserved radical anion species and intermolecular hydrogen-atom transfer by a radical-based hydrogen abstraction mechanism.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Bath, Claverton Down, Bath BA2 7AY, U.K.
authors.forename: Merle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arrowsmith
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kociok-Köhn
authors.forename: Dugald J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: MacDougall
authors.forename: Mary F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Mahon
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Mallov