Issue 28, 2022

A monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex: synthesis, structure, decomposition and preliminary reactivity studies

Abstract

Monomeric organolithium (LiR) complexes could provide enhanced Li–C bond reactivity and suggest mechanisms for a plethora of LiR-mediated reactions. They are highly sought-after but remain a synthetic challenge for organometallic chemists. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterisation of a monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex, namely [Li(CH2SiMe3)(κ3-N,N′,N′′-Me6Tren)] (1), where Me6Tren is a tetradentate neutral amine ligand. The structure of 1 was comprehensively examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable temperature NMR spectroscopy and electron absorption spectroscopy. Complex 1 decomposes via ligand C–H and C–N activations to produce a Li amide complex 2. Preliminary reactivity studies of 1 reveal C[double bond, length as m-dash]O insertion and C–H activation reaction patterns.

Graphical abstract: A monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex: synthesis, structure, decomposition and preliminary reactivity studies

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 okt 2021
Accepted
26 nov 2021
First published
26 nov 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Dalton Trans., 2022,51, 10707-10713

A monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex: synthesis, structure, decomposition and preliminary reactivity studies

N. Davison, P. G. Waddell, C. Dixon, C. Wills, T. J. Penfold and E. Lu, Dalton Trans., 2022, 51, 10707 DOI: 10.1039/D1DT03532K

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