Synthesis, structure and characterization of [Mg7(μ3-OCH2CH2OMe)6(μ-OCH2CH2OMe)6][Al(n-Bu)4]2 – A cationic heptanuclear magnesium complex consisting of discrete cations and tetrabutylaluminate anions

Dibutylmagnesium (contaminated with Al(n-Bu)3; nMg:nAl ca. 1:0.2) was found to react with MeOCH2CH2OH followed by the addition of PhSCH(Me)Ph in the presence of 0.2 equiv n-butyllithium yielding [Mg7(μ3-OCH2CH2OMe)6(μ-OCH2CH2OMe)6][Al(n-Bu)4]2 (1) as the principal product (yield 40–45% referred to MeOCH2CH2OH). The single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the centrosymmetric cationic heptamagnesium complex is built up from seven edge-shared MgO6 octahedra. The [Al(n-Bu)4]− anions adopt approximately a tetrahedral AlC4 symmetry. 1H, 13C and 27Al NMR spectroscopic measurements showed that in THF solution the structures both of the heptamagnesium complex and the tetrabutylaluminate anion are preserved and that there are no cation–anion interactions reducing the symmetry. The 27Al resonance (151.6 ppm) was found to be very sharp (w1/2 = 5 Hz), the coupling constant 1J(27Al,13C) amounts to 72.3 Hz.

Graphical abstractCrystals of the title complex were found to consist of discrete heptanuclear magnesium complex cations built up from seven edge-shared MgO6 octahedra (I) and [Al(n-Bu)4]− anions (II). 1H, 13C and 27Al NMR spectroscopic measurements showed that in THF solution the structures both of the cations and anions are preserved and that there are no cation–anion interactions reducing their symmetry (δAl = 151.6, w1/2 = 5 Hz; 1J(27Al,13C) = 72.3 Hz).Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide