A halide-free route to groups 12 and 13 organometallic and metalloorganic complexes

Abstract

Nucleophilic substitution of the bis(trimethylsilyl)amido groups of [M{N(SiMe3)2}2](M = Zn or Cd) and [In{N(SiMe3)2}3] was found to be a halide-free and homogeneous approach to organometallic and metalloorganic complexes. The breadth of this new synthetic approach is illustrated by the formation of [Cd(SCPh3)2(tmen)]1(tmen = Me2NCH2CH2NMe2), [(PhC≡C)4Zn{Li(tmen)}2]2 and [Li(thf)4][In(C≡CPh)4]3(thf = tetrahydrofuran) from nucleophilic substitution reactions utilising [M{N(SiMe3)2}2](M = Zn or Cd) and [In{N(SiMe3)2}3], the outcome of which is dependent upon the Lewis bases and nucleophiles employed and the metal centres concerned. The crystal structures of complexes 1–3 have been determined.