Synthesis and structural characterization of beta-diketoiminate complexes containing three-coordinate zinc and copper atoms

The reaction of the lithium beta-diketoiminate complex (dipp)NacNacLi.OEt2 {(dipp)NacNac = 2-[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) amino]-4-[(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imino]pent-2-enyl} with ZnCl2 yielded the corresponding (dipp)NacNacZnCl (1) and (dipp)NacNacZn(mu-Cl)(2)Li(OEt2)(2) (1a). Treatment of 1 with LiCdropCPh and NaBH4 in diethyl ether gave (dipp)NacNacZnCdropCPh (2) and (dipp)NacNacZn(mu-H)(2)BH2 (3). The core element of compounds 1a-3 is a six-membered ZnN2C3 ring. The structure of la shows the beta-diketoiminate backbone in a boat conformation with the tetrahedrally coordinated metal centre in la at the prow and the opposing carbon atom at the stem. The zinc atoms in 2 and 3 show a planar arrangement to the beta-diketoiminate plane. The zinc atom in 2 is three-coordinated and that in 3 four-coordinated. Treatment of (dipp)NacNacLi.OEt2 with CuI in diethyl ether yielded {[Li(OEt2)][(dipp)NacNacCuI}](2) (4). In contrast to 1a-3, compound 4 contains a dimetallic system. The core of compound 4 consists of two six-membered LiN2C3 rings and one four-membered Cu2I2 ring. In addition to bonds to the two iodine atoms, the three-coordinated copper atom has a further bond to the gamma-carbon atom of the six-membered LiN2C3 ring, (C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2002.