10.1002/zaac.200700201
The research aims to synthesize and characterize half-sandwich zinc complexes of the form (η5-Cp*)ZnR, where Cp* represents a substituted cyclopentadienyl group and R represents various hydrocarbyl groups such as methyl (Me), ethyl (Et), phenyl (Ph), and mesityl (Mes). The purpose is to fill the gap in the literature regarding these compounds, which have sparse and outdated information. The researchers used Zn(C5Me5)2 and various ZnR2 reagents (such as ZnMe2, ZnEt2, ZnMes2, and ZnPh2) to prepare these complexes through conproportionation reactions. The new compounds were characterized using spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography for compounds 2 and 4. The study found that the half-sandwich complexes exhibited expected structural features, with Zn-Cp* and Zn-R bond lengths indicating strong interactions. The research concludes that the substitution of hydrogen atoms in the Cp ring with methyl groups does not significantly alter the strength of the Zn-Cp bonds, and the compounds are highly reactive but can be purified by sublimation. The findings provide valuable insights into the structural properties and synthesis methods for these half-sandwich zincocenes.