Reducing Ga?H and Ga?C Bonds in Close Proximity to Oxidizing Peroxo Groups: Conflicting Properties in Single Molecules

Treatment of Li(H₂Ga{CH(SiMe₃)₂}₂)] ? 2 OEt₂ ( 1? 2 OEt₂) with two equivalents of tert‐butyl hydrogen peroxide, H‐O‐O‐CMe₃, afforded the organogallium peroxide ({(Me₃Si)₂HC}₂Ga(OH)(OOCMe₃)Li)₂] ( 3 ), which possesses oxidizing peroxo groups in close proximity to reducing Ga? C bonds. The lithium atoms of the dimeric formula units are coordinated by both oxygen atoms of the peroxides and by two hydroxo groups. The cleavage of the Ga? C bond was not observed, even when an excess of H‐O‐O‐CMe₃ was applied. Instead, the adduct {(Me₃Si)₂HC}₂Ga(OH)(OOCMe₃)₂Li₂(HOOCMe₃)] ( 4 ) was isolated, which has an intact H‐O‐O‐CMe₃ molecule terminally attached to lithium. A similar structural motif was found for the compound (LiOOCMe₃)₂(HOOCMe₃)₂] ( 5 ). The trihydrido gallanate Li(H₃Ga? {CH(SiMe₃)₂})] ? OEt₂ ( 2 ) yielded the unique peroxide ({(Me₃Si)₂HC}? Ga(H)(OOCMe₃)₂Li)₂] ( 6 ) under similar conditions that possesses Ga? C and even more reactive Ga? H bonds beside peroxo groups. It decomposed at room temperature by the insertion of oxygen atoms into the Ga? H bonds and the formation of ({(Me₃Si)₂HC}? Ga(OH)(OCMe₃)(OOCMe₃)Li)₂] ( 7 ), which was isolated in a low yield. Further decomposition gave the complete degradation of all peroxo groups with the formation of a relatively complicated Li₄Ga₄O₈ cage ( 8 ).