The next homologue of the bis(cyclopentadienyl)thallate anion; synthesis and X-ray structure determination of [(η5-C5H5)Tl(µ-C5H5)Tl(µ5-C5H5)]–[Li(12-crown-4)2]+·thf

Abstract

Reaction of (C₅H₅)Li with (η⁵-C₅H₅)Tl (1.2 equiv.) in the presence of 12-crown-4 (2 equiv.) produces the ion-separated complex [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Tl(µ-C₅H₅)Tl(µ⁵-C₅H₅)]^–[Li(12-crown-4)₂]₊·thf 1 which contains the first homometallic main group metal triple-decker sandwich as the anion; this anion can be viewed as the first homologue of the thallocene anion [(η⁵-C₅H₅)₂Tl]a^– and is a molecular segment of the polymeric structure of [(η⁵-C₅H₅)Tl]_∞.