Addition of organoberyllium hydrides to some cyanides
Abstract
Methylberyllium hydride in trimethylamine rapidly adds to organic cyanides yielding dimeric methyleneamino-complexes [Me(RCHN)Be,NMe3]2(R = But, Ph, o-MeC6H4, or m-MeC6H4). Pyridine replaces trimethylamine in benzylideneamino(methyl)beryllium without cleaving the Be2N2 ring, giving (MeBeN
CHPh,py)2. t-Butyl-beryllium hydride behaves similarly giving [But(RCH
N) Be,py]2. With the latter further addition does not occur. Di-t-butylberyllium forms 2 : 1 co-ordination complexes with PhCN, rather than reducing the carbon–nitrogen triple bond.