Amidinate Ligands in Zinc coordination sphere: Synthesis and structural diversity

A one-pot reaction involving neosilyllithium and three different carbodiimides (RN=C=NR, R=cyclohexyl, isopropyl and tert-butyl) in diethyl ether, followed by the addition of anhydrous ZnCl2, afforded, in high yield, corresponding homoleptic zinc amidinate complexes having the molecular formulae [Zn{CyN =C(CH2SiMe3)NCy}2] (1), [Zn{ iPrN =C(CH2SiMe3)N iPr}2] (2) and [Zn{ tBuN =C(CH2SiMe3) NtBu}2] (3), respectively, and amidinato moieties in the zinc coordination sphere. Solid state structures of complexes 1-3 are reported thereafter - all the three complexes are isostructural, and each of them consists of two four-membered metallacycles.