Stable Magnesium(I) Compounds with Mg-Mg Bonds
Shaun P. Green,1,2
Cameron Jones,1*
Andreas Stasch1*
The chemistry of the group 2 metals (beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, and barium) is dominated by the +2 oxidation state. Here, we report the reductions of two magnesium(II) iodide complexes with potassium metal in toluene, leading to thermally stable magnesium(I) compounds, (L)MgMg(L) (where L is [(Ar)NC(NPri2)N(Ar)]– or {[(Ar)NC(Me)]2CH}–, Ar is 2,6-diisopropylphenyl, Me is methyl, and Pri is isopropyl) in moderate yields. The results of x-ray crystallographic and theoretical studies are consistent with central Mg 2+2 units that have single, covalent magnesium-magnesium bonding interactions with 2.8508 ± 0.0012 (standard deviation) and 2.8457 ± 0.0008 angstrom bond lengths, respectively, and predominantly ionic interactions with the anionic ligands (L).
1 School of Chemistry, Monash University, Post Office Box 23, Victoria 3800, Australia.
2 School of Chemistry, Main Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK.
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: cameron.jones{at}sci.monash.edu.au (C.J.); andreas.stasch{at}sci.monash.edu.au (A.S.)
