Synthesis and characterization of silver(I) complexes with C-alkyl functionalized N,N '-diphenylamidinates: Tetrameric and trimeric structural motifs

N,N'-Diphenylamidines and the silver(I) complexes of their deprotonated ani ons have been synthesized. Previously uncharacterized tetrameric structural motifs were produced by the inclusion of alkyl substituents at the amidina te carbon. The addition of a 2-methoxy functional group to the phenyl ring resulted in a cationic silver trimer in which hydrogen bonding links silver (I)bound water molecules to the methoxy substituents. The thermal stabiliti es of the tetrameric species vary with alkyl chain length. The new complexe s are: tetrakis(N,N'-diphenylpropamidinato) tetra silver(I), 1, tetrakis(N' ,N'-diphenylbutamidinato) tetrasilver(I) 2, tetrakis(N,N'-diphenylpentamidi nato) tetra silver(I) 3, (N,N'-diphenyloctamidinato)silver(I) 4, (tetrakis( N,N'-di(4-n-butyl)phenylpropamidinato)tetrasilver(I), 5, bis(N,N'-di(2-meth oxy)phenylacetamidinato)diaquatrisilver(I) nitrate 6 and tetrakis(N,N'-di(4 -methoxy)phenylacetamidinato)tetrasilver(I), 7. Compounds I, 5, 6 and 7 wer e structurally characterized by X-ray methods.