The preparation and characterization of a series of magnesium(II) iodide complexes incorporating beta-diketiminate ligands of varying steric bulk and denticity, namely, [(ArNCMe)(2)CH](-) (Ar=phenyl, ((Ph)Nacnac), mesityl ((Mes)Nacnac), or 2,6-diisopropylphenyl (Dipp, (Dipp)Nacnac)), [(DippNCtBu)(2)CH](-) ((tBu)Nacnac), and [(DippNCMe)(Me(2)NCH(2)CH(2)NCMe)CH](-) ((Dmeda)Nacnac) are reported. The complexes [((Ph)Nacnac)MgI(OEt(2))], [((Mes)Nacnac)MgI(OEt(2))], [((Dmeda)Nacnac)MgI(OEt(2))], [((Mes)Nacnac)MgI(thf)], [((Dipp)Nacnac)MgI(thf)], [((tBu)Nacnac)MgI], and [((tBu)Nacnac)MgI(DMAP)] (DMAP=4-dimethylaminopyridine) were shown to be monomeric by X-ray crystallography. In addition, the related beta-diketiminato beryllium and calcium iodide complexes, [((Mes)Nacnac)BeI] and [{((Dipp)Nacnac)CaI(OEt(2))}(2)] were prepared and crystallographically characterized. The reductions of all metal(II) iodide complexes by using various reagents were attempted. In two cases these reactions led to the magnesium(I) dimers, [((Mes)Nacnac)MgMg((Mes)Nacnac)] and [((tBu)Nacnac)MgMg((tBu)Nacnac)]. The reduction of a 1:1 mixture of [((Dipp)Nacnac)MgI(OEt(2))] and [((Mes)Nacnac)MgI(OEt(2))] with potassium gave a low yield of the crystallographically characterized complex [((Dipp)Nacnac)Mg(mu-H)(mu-I)Mg((Mes)Nacnac)]. All attempts to form beryllium(I) or calcium(I) dimers by reductions of [((Mes)Nacnac)BeI], [{((Dipp)Nacnac)CaI(OEt(2))}(2)], or [{((tBu)Nacnac)CaI(thf)}(2)] have so far been unsuccessful. The further reactivity of the magnesium(I) complexes [((Mes)Nacnac)MgMg((Mes)Nacnac)] and [((tBu)Nacnac)MgMg((tBu)Nacnac)] towards a variety of Lewis bases and unsaturated organic substrates was explored. These studies led to the complexes [((Mes)Nacnac)Mg(L)Mg(L)((Mes)Nacnac)] (L=THF or DMAP), [((Mes)Nacnac)Mg(mu-AdN(6)Ad)Mg((Mes)Nacnac)] (Ad=1-adamantyl), [((tBu)Nacnac)Mg(mu-AdN(6)Ad)Mg((tBu)Nacnac)], and [((Mes)Nacnac)Mg(mu-tBu(2)N(2)C(2)O(2))Mg((Mes)Nacnac)] and revealed that, in general, the reactivity of the magnesium(I) dimers is inversely proportional to their steric bulk. The preparation and characterization of [((tBu)Nacnac)Mg(mu-H)(2)Mg((tBu)Nacnac)] has shown the compound to have different structural and physical properties to [((tBu)Nacnac)MgMg((tBu)Nacnac)]. Treatment of the former with DMAP has given [((tBu)Nacnac)Mg(H)(DMAP)], the X-ray crystal structure of which disclosed it to be the first structurally authenticated terminal magnesium hydride complex. Although attempts to prepare [((Mes)Nacnac)Mg(mu-H)(2)Mg((Mes)Nacnac)] were not successful, a neutron diffraction study of the corresponding magnesium(I) complex, [((Mes)Nacnac)MgMg((Mes)Nacnac)] confirmed that the compound is devoid of hydride ligands.

The reaction of LH [L = {(ArNH)(ArN)−C=N−C=(NAr)(NHAr)}; Ar =2,6-Et 2 -C 6 H 3 ] with a commercially available alane amine adduct (H 3 Al•NMe 2 Et) in toluene resulted in the formation of a conjugated bis-guanidinate (CBG)-supported aluminum dihydride complex, i.e., LAlH 2 (1), in good yield. The new complex has been thoroughly characterized by multinuclear magnetic resonance, IR, mass, and elemental analyses, including single-crystal structural studies. Further, we have demonstrated the aluminum-catalyzed hydroboration of a variety of nitriles and alkynes. Moreover, aluminum-catalyzed hydroboration is expanded to more challenging substrates such as alkene, pyridine, imine, carbodiimide, and isocyanides. More importantly, we have shown that the aluminum dihydride catalyzed both intra-and intermolecular chemoselective hydroboration of nitriles and alkynes over other reducible functionalities for the first time.

The well-defined aluminum monohydride compound [{(2,4,6-Me3-C6H2)NC(Me)}2(Me)(H)]AlH·(NMe2Et) (1) catalyzes hydroboration of a wide range of aldehydes and ketones under mild reaction conditions. Moreover, compound 1 displayed chemoselective hydroboration of aldehydes over ketones at rt.

Controlled hydrolysis of a (beta-diketiminate)calcium-amide gave a heteroleptic (beta-diketiminate)calcium-hydroxide complex that is remarkably stable against ligand exchange and formation of Ca(OH)2. The structure of this dimeric complex shows OH- units that symmetrically bridge the Ca2+ ions. This hydrocarbon-soluble calcium hydroxide reacted rapidly with CO2 to produce a gel from which amorphous CaCO3 slowly separated. This reaction behavior allows for sol-gel coating with CaCO3 from an organic solvent. Reaction with benzophenone did not lead to nucleophilic attack of OH- to the carbonyl but gave a red benzophenone adduct instead.