The first carbene complex of a diorganoberyllium:: Synthesis and structural characterization of Ph2Be(i-Pr-carbene) and Ph2Be(n-Bu2O)

The reaction of base-free Ph2Be with 1,3-di-isopropyl-4,5- dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene (i-Pr-carbene) in toluene gave the carbene adduct Ph2Be(i-Pr-carbene) (1) as colorless crystal blocks. For comparison, the di-n-butyl ether adduct Ph-2-Be(n-Bu2O) (2) was prepared from BeCl2 and PhLi in a mixture of Et2O and n-Bu2O. Single-crystal X-ray determinations reveal monomeric solid-state structures for both complexes.