Crystallographic characterisation of binary alkali metal alkoxide-magnesium bis(alkyl) mixtures: differential binding of Na+ and K+ to a common dinuclear diorganomagnesiate.

Relevant to mixtures studied in solution and utilised in styrene polymerisation but hitherto not characterised in the solid, two crystal structures of alkali metal alkoxide-magnesium bis(alkyl) co-complexes have been determined, revealing that in binding to the C2O tripodal face of a common organomagnesiate anion, Na+ prefers O-coordination, whereas K+ prefers C-coordination.