Synthesis and structural characterization of monomeric manganese(II) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes [MnX2(C{N(iPr)C(Me)}2)2] (X = Cl, I, and MeCOO)

Reaction of MnCl2(THF)(1.5), MnI2, or Mn(MeCOO)(2) with two equivalents of N-heterocyclic carbene [C(Me)N(iPr)](2)C (1) in THE at room temperature readily afforded the corresponding carbene adducts [MnX2(C{N(iPr)C(Me)}(2))(2)] [X = Cl (2); X = I (3); X = MeCOO (4)] in good yield. Solid-state structural analysis of complexes 2-4 reveals that all complexes are monomeric. In complexes 2 and 3 the central manganese atoms are four coordinate and have a distorted tetrahedral geometry. The Manganese atom in compound 4 has a coordination number of six and resides in a highly distorted octahedral geometry. The N-heterocyclic carbene ligands in these complexes are coordinated differently to the central metal atoms. ((C) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2004).