A HALIDE-FREE ROUTE TO GROUP-12 AND GROUP-13 ORGANOMETALLIC AND METALLOORGANIC COMPLEXES

Nucleophilic substitution of the bis(trimethylsilyl)amido groups of [M {N(SiMe(3))(2)}(2)] (M = Zn or Cd) and [In{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(3)] was foun d to be a halide-free and homogeneous approach to organometallic and m etalloorganic complexes. The breadth of this new synthetic approach is illustrated by the formation of [Cd(SCPh(3))(2)(tmen)] 1 (tmen = Me(2 )NCH(2)CH(2)NMe(2)), [(PhC=C)(4)Zn{Li(tmen)}(2)] 2 and [Li(thf)(4)][In (C=CPh)(4)] 3 (thf = tetrahydrofuran) from nucleophilic substitution r eactions utilising [M{N(SiMe(3))(2)}(2)] (M = Zn or Cd) and [In{N(SiMe (3))(2)}(3)], the outcome of which is dependent upon the Lewis bases a nd nucleophiles employed and the metal centres concerned. The crystal structures of complexes 1-3 have been determined.