Kenneth W. Henderson » Image Gallery

A Disodium Geminal Organodimetallic

The picture above shows the crystal structure of the geminal organodimetallic complex [{{Ph₂P(Me₃Si)N}₂CNa₂}₂]. This is the first example of a geminal dimetallic complex using a heavy s-block metal to be characterized in the solid state. The investigation of geminal dianions, R₂C^2-, is of interest from both a fundamental chemistry standpoint (preparative routes, structural patterns, reactivity etc.) and also due to their potential use as highly reactive intermediates in organic synthesis (multiple reactions at a single carbon center). We have very prepared and characterized a series of alkali metal geminal organodimetallics using a bis(phosphimine) ligand - for more infromation see: Organometallics 2006, 25, 4072.