Mononuclear Formamidinate Complexes of Lithium and Sodium

Treatment of N,N′‐bis(aryl)formamidines (FXylH = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐dimethylphenyl)formamidine, FEtH = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diethylphenyl)formamidine, FisoH = N,N′‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)formamidine) with nBuLi in the presence of tmeda (= N,N,N′,N′‐tetramethylethylenediamine) led to deprotonation of the amidine affording Li(FXyl)(tmeda)] ( 1 ), Li(FEt)(tmeda)] ( 2 ) and Li(Fiso)(tmeda)] ( 3 ) respectively. Similar treatment of FXylH and FisoH with Na{N(SiMe₃)₂}] in THF and pmdeta (= N,N,N′,N″,N″‐pentamethyldiethylenetriamine) yielded Na(FXyl)(pmdeta)] ( 4 ) and Na(Fiso)(pmdeta)] ( 5 ). All complexes were characterised by spectroscopy (NMR and IR) and X‐ray crystallography. Due to the bulkiness of the formamidinate ligands and the multidentate nature of the supporting neutral amine ligands (tmeda and pmdeta), all compounds were mononuclear with η²‐chelating formamidinate ligands in the solid state.