Synthesis and structure of magnesium aminopyridinates and their attempted conversion to magnesium (I) derivatives

Abstract

N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-[6-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)-pyridine-2-yl]-amine and N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-[6-(2,4,6-triisopropylphenyl)pyridin-2-yl]amine were treated in equimolar ratio with CH3MgX (X = Cl or Br) in hexane or toluene to afford the dinuclear mono(aminopyridinato) halide complexes. Despite varying steric bulk, these divalent complexes on reaction with KC8 in THF led to monomeric [Mg(Ap)2(thf)] complexes instead of reduced dimeric Mg (I) complexes. The synthesized complexes have been characterized by NMR spectroscopy and majority has also been analysed by X-ray crystallography.