Synthesis and structures of new binuclear zinc alkyl, aryl and aryloxo complexes

The synthesis of a series of binuclear zinc complexes with Cl, N and O bridges is reported. The reaction of EtZnCl with B(C6F5)(3) in the presence of hexamethylbenzene affords the arene complex [Zn(mu-Cl)(C6F5)(eta-C6Me6)](2) in which the C6Me6 ligand may be regarded as eta(3)-bonded. The comproportionation of Zn[N(SiMe3)(2)](2) with ZnBu2t or Zn(C6F5)(2) toluene gave [(BuZn)-Zn-t{mu-N(SiMe3)(2)}](2) and [C6F5Zn{mu-N(SiMe3)(2)}](2), respectively, with three-coordinate zinc. The reaction of ZnEt2 with C6F5OH in the presence of pyridine gave [EtZn(mu-OC6F5)(py)](2), while ZnMe2 and C6F5OH followed by recrystallisation from THF gave [Zn(OC6F5)(mu-OC6F5)(THF)(2)](2) with five-coordinate zinc in a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. The structures of these compounds have been determined. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.