Two-coordinate terminal zinc hydride complexes: synthesis, structure and preliminary reactivity studies

Abstract

The first examples of essentially two-coordinate, monomeric zinc hydride complexes, LZnH (L = –N(Ar)(SiR₃)) (Ar = C₆H₂{C(H)Ph₂}₂R′-2,6,4; R = Me, R′ = Prⁱ (L′); R = Prⁱ, R′ = Me (L*); R = Prⁱ, R′ = Prⁱ (L^†)) have been prepared and shown by crystallographic studies to have near linear N–Zn–H fragments. The results of computational studies imply that any Ph⋯Zn interactions in the compounds are weak at best. Preliminary reactivity studies reveal the compounds to be effective for the stoichiometric hydrozincation and catalytic hydrosilylation of carbonyl compounds.