Unsupported metal silyl ether coordination

Abstract

Simple silyl ethers like O(SiMe3)2 in contrast to normal ethers are inert to metal bonding; however, a "naked", highly Lewis-acidic, cationic Mg species enforces complexation. DFT calculations indicate that agostic interactions and van der Waals attraction significantly contribute to the stability of this first example of unsupported metal silyl ether coordination.