Quest for lithium amidinates containing adjacent amino donor group at the central carbon atom

•Lithium amidinate complexes bearing pendant donor group on the central carbon atom were prepared.•Two different structural motifs were found – mono- and dimeric.•Structure was investigated by XRD and NMR techniques.

Lithium amidinate complexes bearing different peripheral substituents on both nitrogen atoms (iPr and Dipp (2,6-di(isopropyl)phenyl-) and pendant, potentially coordinating group originated from the 2-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl moiety, at the central carbon atom were prepared by addition of the 2-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)phenyllithium to the appropriate carbodiimides. The structure of the isopropyl group substituted lithium amidinates is dimeric with bidentate amidinate unit and four-coordinated lithium atom. On contrary the Dipp group substituted lithium amidinate is monomeric with trigonal planar geometry of the lithium atom, monodentately bound amidinate unit and coordinated pendant arm.

Graphical abstractLithium amidinate complexes with potentially pendant donor group originated from the 2-(N,N-dimethylaminomethyl)phenyl moiety, at the central carbon atom were prepared. All compounds including two hydrolysis products were characterized by multinuclear NMR approach and X-ray diffraction techniques.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide