Bis(phosphinimino)methyl derivatives of Ca, Sr and Ba: facile access to heavier alkaline earth organometallic chemistry

A series of mononuclear and arene-soluble bis( phosphinimino) methyl derivatives of the heavier alkaline earth metals, calcium, strontium and barium, have been obtained by straightforward addition of two molar equivalents of [KN(SiMe3)(2)] to a mixture of [CH2(Ph2P=NC6H2-Me-3-2,4,6) (2)] and MI2 ( M = Ca, Sr, Ba) in THF.