Synthesis and chemistry of the bis(trimethylsilyl)amido bis-tetrahydrofuranates of the group 2 metals magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium. X-ray crystal structures of Mg[N(SiMe3)2]2·2THF and related Mn[N(SiMe3)2]2·2THF

Abstract Transamination reactions utilizing the compound mercuric bis(trimethylsilyl)amide, Hg{N(SiMe 3 ) 2 } 2 , in tetrahydrofuran (THF), and the metals Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Al have been investigated. Thus the THF solvated compounds Na[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ]·THF and M[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 ·2THF, M = Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba ( 1 – 4 ), have been prepared. The X-ray crystal structures of 1 and the related manganese compound Mn[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ] 2 ·2THF ( 5 ) are reported. Interaction of the silylamides, 2 – 4 , with a range of crown ethers apparently proceeded with elimination of silylamine, (Me 3 Si) 2 NH, and novel ring opening of the crown ethers, generating species containing a donor alkoxide ligand with a vinyl ether function, presumably, O(CH 2 CH 2 O) n CHCH 2 ( n = 3−5). The silylamides 2 – 4 were also cleanly converted to the corresponding alkoxides (from 1 H NMR data) in reactions with stoichiometric quantities of 3-ethyl-3-pentanol.