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The amine elimination reaction of equimolar amounts of ansa-bis(amidine) C6H4-1,2-{NC(tBu)NH(2,6-iPr2C6H3)}2 (L1H) and [(Me3Si)2N]2Yb(THF)2 affords a bis(amidinate) YbII complex [C6H4-1,2-{NC(tBu)N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)}2]Yb(THF) (1) in 68% yield. Complex 1 features a rather rare η1-amido:η6-arene coordination of both amidinate fragments to the YbII ion, resulting in the formation of a bent bis(arene) structure. Oxidation of 1 by I2 regardless of the molar ratio of reagents (2 : 1 or 1 : 1) leads to the formation of the YbIII species [{(2,6-iPr2C6H3)=NC(tBu)NH}-C6H4-1,2-{NC(tBu)N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)}]YbI2(THF)2 (2) in which only one amidinate fragment is coordinated to the ytterbium ion in κ2-N,N′-chelating coordination mode, while the second NCN fragment is protonated in the course of the reaction and is not bound to the metal ion. The outcome of the salt metathesis reaction of LaCl3 with lithium amidinates [C6H4-1,2-{NC(tBu)N(2,6-R2C6H3)}2Li2] (R = Me, iPr) is proven to be strongly affected by the substituent 2,6-R2C6H3 on the amidinate nitrogens. When R = iPr, the salt metathesis reaction occurs smoothly and results in the formation of an ate-chloro-amidinate complex [C6H4-1,2-{NC(tBu)N(2,6-iPr2C6H3)}2]La(μ2-Cl)Li(THF)(μ2-Cl)2Li(THF)2 (3) in which the LaIII ion is coordinated by both amidinate fragments in a “classic”κ2-N,N′-chelating fashion. In the case of R = Me, the reaction requires prolonged heating for completion. Moreover, the salt metathesis reaction is accompanied by the fragmentation of the ligand and affords a trinuclear chloro-amidinate complex [C6H4-1,2-{NC(tBu)N(2,6-Me2C6H3)}2]La{[(tBu)C(N-2,6-Me2C6H3)2]La(THF)}2(μ2-Cl)4(μ3-Cl)2 (4) containing one dianionic ansa-bis(amidinate) and two monoanionic [(tBu)C(N-2,6-Me2C6H3)2] amidinate fragments. DFT calculations are conducted to determine the factor that governs this change in coordination mode and, in particular, the effect of the metal oxidation state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bis(amido)–TiIV and –ZrIV complexes stabilized by the bis(amidinate) ligands {C6H4-1,2-[NC(tBu)N(2,6-R2C6H3)]2}M(NMe2)2 [M = ZrIV, R = Me (3), R = iPr (4); M = TiIV, R = Me (5), R = iPr (6)] and {C6H4-1,2-[NC(tBu)N(2,6-Me2C6H3)]2}Zr(NMe2)3H (3·HNMe2) were prepared in fairly good yields by treating a (bis)amidine ligand C6H4-1,2-[NC(tBu)N(2,6-R2C6H3)H]2 [R = Me (1), iPr (2)] with an equimolar amount of the metal precursor M(NMe2)4 (M = ZrIV, TiIV). The salt metathesis reactions between equimolar amounts of the sodium amidinates C6H4-1,2-[NC(tBu)N(2,6-R2C6H3)]2Na2 and ZrCl4(thf)2 were also scrutinized to synthesize the corresponding ZrIV bis(amidinate) dichlorides {C6H4-1,2-[NC(tBu)N(2,6-R2C6H3)]2}ZrCl2 [R = Me (7), iPr (8)]. The coordination mode of the ligand to the MIV ions was strongly affected by the steric hindrance of the amidinate ligand (Me- vs. iPr-substituted aniline moieties) as well as by the nature of the ancillary groups bound to the metal center (NMe2 vs. Cl). The bis(amido) ligand with the 2,6-Me2C6H3 substituents at the amidinate nitrogen atoms coordinates to the zirconium ion in a tetradentate fashion both in solution and in the solid state (3 and 3·HNMe2). The compounds containing the bulkier 2,6-iPr2C6H3 units prefer a tridentate coordination mode (4). With the smaller TiIV ion, the bis(amidinate) ligands from this series are tridentate in the solid state (5 and 6), whereas they reversibly switch their denticity from tridentate to tetradentate (κ3 vs. κ4) in solution depending on the temperature. The ZrIV complex 4, featuring the bulkier bis(amidinate) ligand 2, shows a behavior similar to that of its TiIV analogue, that is, a tridentate ligand coordination in the solid state and a temperature-induced denticity change in solution. The standard thermodynamic parameters for the κ3/κ4 interconversions of the two model compounds 4 and 5 in [D8]toluene solution were determined from the respective linear van't Hoff plots. Finally, the ZrIV bis(chloride) complexes 7 and 8 invariably show a tetracoordinate mode for their bis(amidinate) ligands (1 and 2) in solution and in the solid state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]