Organometallic derivatives of scandium and yttrium supported by a bulky salicylaldiminato
ligand were prepared from the tris(alkyl) precursors [M(CH2SiMe2R)3(THF)2] (M = Sc, 1-Sc
R
;
M = Y, 1-Y
R
; R = CH3, Ph) via alkane elimination. The new precursors 1-M
Ph
are convenient
alternatives to the 1-M
Me
derivatives, due to their higher thermal stability and crystallinity;
1-Sc
Ph
has been characterized crystallographically. Reaction of these compounds with 1 equiv
of protio ligand gives isolable mono(ligand) bis(alkyl) derivatives only for 1-Y; for other
derivatives 1-Sc, mixtures were obtained. The products of the former reaction retain either
two (2-Y
Ph
) or one (3-Y
Ph
) THF ligands; both of these compounds have been characterized
crystallographically. In solution, both exhibit fluxional exchange between two geometric
isomers which were characterized by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy. Heating
solutions of either compound leads to facile ligand redistribution. Reactions of tris(alkyls) 1
with 2 equiv of protio ligand gives the five-coordinate, THF-free bis(ligand) mono(alkyl)
complexes 4-M
R
. These compounds are highly thermally stable, decomposing at temperatures
above 140 °C via a pathway involving metalation of one of the N-aryl isopropyl methyl groups.
The derivatives 4-Sc
Me
and 4-Y
Ph
have been structurally characterized, as well as the product
of thermolysis of 4-Sc
Me
, the nonorganometallic four-coordinate complex 5-Sc. Both 4-Sc
Me
and 4-Y
Ph
react slowly but cleanly with H2. The former yields a product, 7-Sc, derived from
transfer of the in situ formed scandium hydride to the aldimine carbon of one of the ligands.
The yttrium product, however, is the D
2-symmetric dimeric μ-hydride complex 6-Y,
characterized by spectroscopic and crystallographic methods. A survey of 6-Y’s reactivity
toward deuterated solvents, d
2
-6-Y, ethylene, (trimethylsilyl)acetylene, [HB(C6F5)2]2, benzophenone, pyridine, and THF suggests that it does not dissociate into a monomeric hydride
but reacts as a dimer. Nonetheless, products from the reactions of (trimethylsilyl)acetylene,
[HB(C6F5)2]2, benzophenone, pyridine, and THF were isolated and characterized spectroscopically and, in the case of the product from the benzophenone reaction, crystallographically.
Finally, reactions of mono(alkyls) 4-Sc
Me
and 4-Y
Ph
with a further 1 equiv of protio ligand
gave nonorganometallic tris(ligand) coordination complexes, both of which were structurally
and spectroscopically characterized. The scandium derivative 8-Sc contained an O-bound
κ1-salicylaldiminato ligand, while for 8-Y, containing the larger Y nucleus, all three ligands
were chelating in the normal κ2 bonding mode.