Potassium-zinc induced synergic enhancement of the basicity of hexamethyldisilazide (HMDS) towards methylbenzene molecules

William Clegg; Glenn C Forbes; Alan R Kennedy; Robert E Mulvey; Stephen T Liddle

doi:10.1039/b211392a

Potassium-zinc induced synergic enhancement of the basicity of hexamethyldisilazide (HMDS) towards methylbenzene molecules

Chem Commun (Camb). 2003 Feb 7:(3):406-7. doi: 10.1039/b211392a.

Authors

William Clegg¹, Glenn C Forbes, Alan R Kennedy, Robert E Mulvey, Stephen T Liddle

Affiliation

¹ University Chemistry Laboratories, School of Natural Sciences, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK NE1 7RU.

PMID: 12613635
DOI: 10.1039/b211392a

Abstract

While neither KHMDS nor Zn(HMDS)2 can unilaterally metallate toluene under the conditions studied, the bilateral base 'KZn(HMDS)3' can smoothly do so to produce the benzyl product [[KZn(HMDS)2(CH2Ph)]infinity], which exists in the crystal as an infinite spiral chain of benzyl (ambi-sigma, pi)-linked (KNZnN) rings.