title: Synthesis, characterisation, and dehydrocoupling ability of zirconium complexes bearing hindered bis(amido)silyl ligands.
abstract: Herein we detail the synthesis and characterisation of a series of zirconium compounds featuring the bis(amido)silyl ligand [(i)Pr2Si(NDipp)2](2-) (Dipp = 2,6-diisopropylphenyl). The functionalisation of bis(amido)silyl zirconium halide complexes with a variety of nucleophiles, such as LiNMe2, LiBH4 and MeLi, was explored and the resulting products showed a propensity to form anionic zirconate salts when the syntheses were carried out in THF. One of the zirconate products, [(i)Pr2Si(NDipp)2]Zr(NMe2)2·ClLi(THF)3, has the ability to catalyse the dehydrocoupling of primary and secondary amine-boranes at room temperature in aromatic solvents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, 11227 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G2. erivard@ualberta.ca.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lummis
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McDonald
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ferguson
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rivard