1622 Organometallics 2010, 29, 1622–1628
DOI: 10.1021/om100019c
Synthesis and Structure of Magnesium and Group 13 Metal
Bis(thiophosphinoyl)methanediide Complexes
Wing-Por Leung,* Chi-Ling Wan, and Thomas C. W. Mak
Department of Chemistry, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong,
People’s Republic of China
Received January 7, 2010
Metalations of bis(diphenylthiophosphinoyl)methane, CH2(PPh2dS)2, with equimolar BunLi or
Bun Mg in THF afforded [Li{(SdPPh2)2CH}(THF)(Et2O)] (1) and [MgC(PPh2dS)2(THF)]2 (2),
2
respectively. Compound 1 with a group 13 metal chloride MCl3 (M = Al, Ga, In) gave the
methanediide complex [MCl{C(PPh2dS)2}]2 (M = Al (3), Ga (4), In (5)). Compounds 3-5 are
believed to be formed by ligand transfer reaction followed by dehydrochlorination. X-ray structures
of 1-5 have been determined. It was found that the magnesium complex 2 has a similar structure to
the group 13 metal analogues 3-5.
Introduction
rapidly. Numerous main group, transition metal, and rare
earth metal complexes of this kind were synthesized.4-6
However, only a few examples of group 13 methanediide
complexes are known. Cavell and co-workers have reported
the first example of bis(iminophosphorano)methanediide
complexes [(AlR2)2{μ2-C(Ph2PdNSiMe3)2-κ2N,N0}] (R = Me,
Bu).7,8 The aluminum methanediide complex [(AlBu)2-
Ph2P(S)SPPh2(S)2(AlBu)2] has a related ligand.9 These
compounds are bridging bi- and tetrametallic complexes,
respectively. Moreover, the gallium and indium methane-
diide complexes were unknown. Herein, we report the
synthesis of a series of metal (M = Al, Ga, In, and Mg) bis-
(thiophosphinoyl)methanediide complexes, in which there is
direct interaction between the metal and the methanediide
carbon.
The chemistry of group 13 metal organometallic complexes,
especially the organoaluminium compounds, has been widely
explored on account of their uses in polymerization catalysis.
Various ligands containing N-donor sites have been used to
stabilize these metal complexes.1 For example, the imino and
sulfur derivatives of bis(diphenylphosphino)methane have
been studied extensively in the past few decades. Dilithium
methanediide complexes [Li2C(PPh2dX)2] (X = NSiMe3, S)
have been prepared and structurally characterized.2,3 The
coordination chemistry of bis(iminophosphorano)- and bis-
(thiophosphinoyl)methanediide complexes has developed
*Corresponding author. E-mail: kevinleung@cuhk.edu.hk.
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