Reactions of β-diketiminates with selenium and tellurium halides

The reactions of nacnacLi (nacnac = [{N(C6H3iPr22,6)C(Me)}2CH]−) with TeCl4 and SeCl4 afforded the complexes [nacnacTeCl4], compound (1), and nacnacSeCl+Cl−, compound (2), in moderate yields. Both were characterized by X-ray crystallography. Compounds 1 and 2 both show C-H activation of the ligand backbone. In the case of tellurium, no LiCl displacement or nitrogen chelation is observed and an ionic TeCl4 complex is isolated. By contrast, under similar reaction conditions, the reaction with SeCl4, affords a cationic Se(II) complex with loss of four chlorines and rearrangement of the chloride atom to the nacnac ligand.