Copper(I) Clusters with Trifunctional Silyl Amide Ligands. Synthesis and Crystal Structures of [Li(THF)4]2[Cu10{RSi(NPh)3}4] (R = Me,Ph, Vin)

Treatment of CuCl with the lithiated silyl amides RSi(NLiPh)₃ (R = Me, Ph, Vin) in THF as solvent led to the formation of the novel Cu^I cluster compounds [Li(THF)₄]₂[Cu₁₀{RSi(NPh)₃}₄]. For each of the three compounds the X‐ray crystal structure analysis revealed similar Si₄N₁₂Cu₁₀ cores which are based on cubane like Cu₈ cores bearing two additional peripheral copper atoms. The copper atoms are coordinated nearly linearly by the μ₅‐bridging silyl amide ligands with Cu–N distances in the range of 187.1(3) to 194.5(4) pm and N–Cu–N angles of 171.6(1) to 178.7(1)°. For each of the compounds the structural parameters are very similar which indicates that the structures are barely influenced by the different steric requirements of the organic groups bound to silicon.