A novel heterometallic alkoxide: lithium–potassium tert-butoxide [(ButO)8Li4K4]

Abstract

Synthesised from its homonuclear components in the presence of the Lewis base TMEDA, the title heteronuclear alkoxide crystallises in an unsolvated TMEDA-free form; its novel breastplate-like Li₄K₄O₈ cage structure, which undergoes an exchange process in arene solution as determined by dynamic NMR spectroscopic studies, displays a planar K₄ arrangement in marked contrast to the tetrahedral K₄ arrangement found in homonuclear [(Bu^tOK)₄].