Some sterically hindered beryllium alkoxides and their derivatives; monomeric beryllium 2,6-di-t-butylphenoxide
Abstract
The alkoxides [Be(OCMe2Et)2]3 and [Be(OCMeEt2)2]3 are trimeric in benzene like the tertiary butoxide. The dimer [Be(OCEt3)2]2 has been prepared by a new route. All these give rise to dimeric alkoxyberyllium chloride–tetrahydrofuran complexes, and one gives the complex Cl2Be3(OCMe2Et)4. Beryllium t-butoxide forms no adducts with ammonia, dimethylamine, tri- or tetra-methylethylenediamine, or pyridine, but 4-dimethylaminopyridine gives Me2NC5H4NBe(OBut)2. It forms a compound, Me3AlBe3(OBut)6, on reaction with trimethylaluminium, but the structure of this is not known. Beryllium 2,6-di-t-butylphenoxide is monomeric in benzene, and is unique in this respect.