A complex of gallium with a Schiff base - bis(orthoquinone) ligand

The electrochemical oxidation of gallium in a cell containing a solution of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (H(2)dbc) in a mixture of liquid ammonia and die thyl ether gives rise to the complex Ga(dbqdi)(2), where dbqdi is a trident ate ligand formed by the condensation of two molecules of H(2)dbc and ammon ia. The same paramagnetic molecule can be prepared by treating GaCl3 with H (2)dbc in ethanol with concentrated aqueous ammonia, with subsequent aerial oxidation. The crystal parameters are triclinic, space group P (1) over ba r, a = 11.6140(8), b = 12.3415(9), c = 20.765(1) Angstrom, alpha = 89.491(1 )degrees, beta = 74.287(1)degrees, gamma = 75.748(1)degrees, Z = 2, and R = 0.0542 for 7578 unique reflections. The structure, which is based on a GaO 4N2 kernel, is discussed on the basis of crystallographic and ESR results.