The synthesis, characterization,
and zinc coordination chemistry
of the three proligands 2-tert-butyl-4-[tert-butyl (1)/methoxy (2)/nitro (3)]-6-{[(2′-dimethylaminoethyl)methylamino]methyl}phenol are
described. Each of the ligands was reacted with diethylzinc to yield
zinc ethyl complexes 4–6; these complexes
were subsequently reacted with phenylsilanol to yield zinc siloxide
complexes 7–9. Finally, the zinc
siloxide complexes were reacted with phenylsilane to produce the three
new zinc hydride complexes 10–12.
The new complexes 4–12 have been
fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental
analyses. The structures of the zinc hydride complexes have been probed
using VT-NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments. These
data indicate that the complexes exhibit mononuclear structures at
298 K, both in the solid state and in solution (d8-toluene). At 203 K, the NMR signals broaden, consistent
with an equilibrium between the mononuclear and dinuclear bis(μ-hydrido)
complexes. All three zinc hydride complexes react rapidly and quantitatively
with carbon dioxide, at 298 K and 1 bar of pressure over 20 min, to
form the new zinc formate complexes 13–15. The zinc formate complexes have been analyzed by NMR spectroscopy
and VT-NMR studies, which reveal a temperature-dependent monomer–dimer
equilibrium that is dominated by the mononuclear species at 298 K.