Synthesis, characterization, and magnetism of divalent aryl transition-metal complexes of the simplest dialkylamide, NMe(2): rare T-shaped coordination at chromium.

The synthesis and characterization of a series of first-row aryl transition metal derivatives of the simplest dialkylamido ligand NMe(2) are reported. The complexes Cr{Ar'Cr(mu-NMe(2))(2)}(2) (1) and {Ar'M(mu-NMe(2))}(2) (M = Mn (2), Fe (3); Ar' = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(3)-2,6-(i)Pr(2))(2)) were obtained by reaction of the aryl metal halides {Ar'M(mu-X)}(2) (M = Cr, X = Cl; M = Fe, X = Br) or {Li(THF)Ar'MnI(2)}(2) with LiNMe(2) in a 1:2 ratio. A similar reaction of {Ar(#)Co(mu-I)}(2) (Ar(#) = C(6)H(3)-2,6-(C(6)H(2)-2,4,6-Me(3))(2)) and LiNMe(2) in hexanes gave the unusual complex {Ar(#)Co(mu-I)(eta(1)-CH(2) horizontal lineNCH(3))}(2) (4), in which the NMe(2) ligand is dehydrogenated to afford a complexed imine. Complexes 1-4 were characterized by X-ray crystallography, UV-vis spectroscopy, and magnetic measurements. In the unique trinuclear complex 1, the central chromium(II) ion is bound to four NMe(2) groups in a square planar fashion. The NMe(2) groups also bridge to the two outer chromium(II) ions, which are bound to a terminal Ar' group to yield a rare example of three-coordinate T-shaped geometry at these atoms. In the dimers 2 and 3, each metal center is coordinated to a terminal terphenyl ligand and two bridging NMe(2) groups to give a distorted trigonal planar geometry. In contrast, the reaction of LiNMe(2) with {Ar(#)Co(mu-I)}(2) in a 2:1 ratio did not yield an amido product; instead, the NMe(2) ligand underwent hydrogen elimination. As a result, in the dimeric structure of 4, each cobalt ion is coordinated to a terphenyl ligand, two bridging iodides, and a neutral methylimine ligand, CH(2) horizontal lineNCH(3), to yield a very distorted tetrahedral cobalt(II) coordination environment. The magnetic properties of 1-4 revealed antiferromagnetic exchange coupling between the metal ions with J = -47(1) cm(-1) and J(13) = -25(1) cm(-1) for 1, J = -38(1) cm(-1) for 2, J = -75(3) cm(-1) for 3, and J = -32(4) cm(-1) for 4; the latter compound exhibited an unusually large temperature independent contribution to its molar magnetic susceptibility.