Access to new Janus head ligands: linking sulfur diimides and phosphanes for hemilabile tripodal scorpionates

Reactions of lithium dialkyl/phenyl phosphanylmethylides, RR'PCH(X)Li (R, R' = Me, Et, Ph and R = Me, R' = Ph; X = H or Me), with sulfur diimides S(NR')2 (R' = (t)Bu or SiMe3) in an equimolar ratio yielded Janus head complexes with the structural motif Li{RR'PCH(X)S(NR')2}]2 (R' = (t)Bu, SiMe3). The basic core of these dimeric complexes is composed of a (LiN)(2) four-membered ring containing two four-coordinated lithium atoms. A lithium complex of the new Janus head ligand with another structural motif TMEDA·Li{Ph(2)PCH(2)S(NSiMe3)2}] (6) could be isolated from the reaction of Ph2PCH2Li·TMEDA] with S(NSiMe3)2. Two monomeric complexes Mg{Me2PCH2S(NR')2}2] (7, 8) were synthesised by a straightforward reaction of Li{Me2PCH2S(NR')2}2] with MgCl2 in pentane. The magnesium atom is chelated by one phosphorus atom and two nitrogen atoms of each unit of the hemilabile ligand in a tripodal manner, leading to octahedral geometry around the magnesium cation. A complete analysis of Ph2PCH2(SNSiMe3)(HNSiMe3)] (9) is also described in which one nitrogen atom of the imido moiety is protonated.