Synthesis and reactivity of a zirconocene bis-(aminoborylphosphane)

The reaction of Cp2ZrCl2 with LiP(H)B(Ni-Pr2)2 • DME in a 1 : 2 ratio provides the metallodiphosphane Cp2Zr(P(H)B(Ni-Pr2)2)2 (5). Combination of 5 with Mo(CO)4(norbornadiene) gives the diphosphane adduct Cp2Zr(P(H)B (Ni-Pr2)2)2Mo(CO)4 (7) in which 5 acts as a bidentate chelating ligand. The reaction of 5 with n-BuLi in a 1 : 1 ratio generates a phosphane-phosphide "ate" complex Li{Cp2Zr(P(H)B(Ni-Pr2)2)(PB(Ni-Pr2)2)} • DME (8). This unusual complex contains a planar, asymmetric ZrPLiP ring. The compounds have been characterized by spectroscopic methods and the molecular structures of 7 and 8 have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods.