C–H and C–F coordination of arenes in neutral alkaline earth metal complexes

A series of neutral magnesium and calcium complexes bearing an extremely bulky diamido ligand have been synthesised and crystallographically characterised. A number of these complexes feature rare group 2 metal⋯aromatic interactions, such as the η6-coordination of benzene and ‘agostic-like’ C–H coordination, the latter previously unseen in neutral Mg and Ca complexes.