Organometallic bases are considered one of the most important synthetic tools for the regio-, chemo- and enantio-selective functionalisation of organic molecules. In this research we have attempted to expand the scope of bimetallic bases by employing a previously little studied bulky amide. Within this work a novel series of homometallic and heterobimetallic complexes have been synthesised and characterized by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. This research advances alkali metal and alkali metal magnesiate chemistry of the bulky aryl-silyl amido ligand N(SiMe3)(Dipp)] (Dipp = 2,6-iPr2-C6H3). It shows that chain structures as opposed to ring structures will be generally preferred when the bulky amide carries aromatic groups which can engage through their pi systems to alkali metals. Thus template ring bases cannot be made with this particular amide.
The data set contains four files:
1. General procedures
2. NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis
3. X-Ray crystallographic structures
4. CIF for the crystallographic structures
Please, note that to see the cif files requires a graphical program which can open crystallographic files (programs such as Mercury, ORTEP-3, etc.).
This work was generously supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Science Research Council (award no. EP/K001183/1) and the Royal Society (Wolfson research merit award to R.E.M). PI: Professor R. E. Mulvey; PDRA: Dr M. Á. Fuentes.