A Dimeric Gallium Hydrazide as an Active Lewis Pair – Complexation and Activation of Me2GaH and Various Heterocumulenes

Treatment of the dimeric gallium hydrazide Me₂Ga‐N(2‐Ad)‐NC₅H₁₀]₂ ( 5 ) with Me₂GaH resulted in the formation of an adduct 6 by Ga–N bond cleavage and coordination of the metal hydride via a Ga–N and a 3c–2e Ga–H–Ga bond. This reaction reflects the typical behavior of frustrated Lewis pairs. Reactions with heterocumulenes R–N=C=X (R = Ph, CMe₃, Dipp, X = O; R = Ph, X = S) or X=C=X (X = O, S) resulted in the formation of the cyclic Ga–N insertion products Me₂Ga–N(R)C(O)N(2‐Ad)‐NC₅H₁₀ ( 7a – c ), Me₂GaS₂C‐N(2‐Ad)‐NC₅H₁₀ ( 8 ) or Me₂GaX₂C‐N(2‐Ad)‐NC₅H₁₀ X = O ( 9 ); S ( 10 )] in moderate to good yields. Three different structural motifs were observed in the solid state: Five‐membered GaNCN₂ heterocycles with exocyclic C=O bonds for compounds 7a – c , four‐membered GaSCN or GaSCS heterocycles for compounds 8 and 9 (chelating coordination of the Ga atoms by SCN and CS₂ ligands) and an eight‐membered (GaOCO)₂ heterocycle for the dimeric CO₂ insertion product 10 . Treatment of 5 with PhCN or Ph₂CO resulted in a completely different reaction and afforded a dimeric Ga imide 11a or an alcoholate 11b . These reactions may start by retro‐hydrogallation with the formation of H₁₀C₅N–N=C(C₉H₁₄) and Me₂GaH and proceed by addition of the metal hydride to the polar multiple bonds of the nitrile or ketone.