Imino sulfinamidines: synthesis and coordination chemistry of a novel class of chiral bidentate ligands

The new imino sulfinamidine ligand PhS(NHt-Bu)=NC(Me)=N(C6H3-2,6-iPr2), LH (11) was synthesized from N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)acetamidine (9) and N-tert-butyl phenylsulfinimidoyl chloride (10). Reaction of LH (11) with ZnEt2 or AlMe3 gave the complexes LZnEt (12) and LAlMe2 (13), respectively. The structures of 12 and 13 were determined by X-ray diffraction and were shown to contain L as a kappa2-N1,N5 bidentate ligand in a six-membered chelate. Formation of the magnesium complex (LMgN(TMS)2 x L2Mg) (14) from 11, MgI2, and KN(SiMe3)2 highlighted a secondary coordination mode of L, binding through the sulfinamidine nitrogens in a four-membered chelate.