The first structurally characterised early main-group metal diazallyl complex; synthesis and crystal structure of LiCPh(NPh)2·NMe[(CH2)2NMe2]2

Abstract

n-Butyllithium reacts with a solution of PhNC(Ph)NHPh (N,N′-diphenylbenzamidine) and NMe[(CH₂)₂NMe₂]₂(pmdeta) to give the complex LiCPh(NPh)₂·pmdeta, which is monomeric in the solid state with a five-co-ordinate litium cation bound to a tridentate pmdeta ligand and a bidentate amidinide anion (diazaallyl system, chelating), in which the two N–C bond lengths of 1.336(4) and 1.335(4)Å suggest almost uniform delocalisation along the NCN unit.