Analogies between the reactivities of an anionic gallium(I) heterocycle and N-heterocyclic carbenes toward metallocenes

J Am Chem Soc. 2003 Sep 3;125(35):10534-5. doi: 10.1021/ja036933n.

Abstract

The synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of the novel nickel-gallium(I) heterocycle complex, [{Ga[N(Ar)C(H)]2}2Ni(mu-Cp)K(tmeda)(mu-Cp)K(mu-C7H8)0.5]infinity, Ar = C6H3Pri2-2,6, are reported. The compound is polymeric in the solid state and reacts with an N-heterocyclic carbene to give the neutral, square planar complex, trans-[Ni{C[N(Me)C(Me)]2}2{Ga[N(Ar)C(H)]2}2]. Analogies between the reactivities of the gallium(I) heterocycle and isoelectronic N-heterocyclic carbenes are discussed.