A monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex: synthesis, structure, decomposition and preliminary reactivity studies

Monomeric organolithium (LiR) complexes could provide enhanced Li-C bond reactivity and suggest mechanisms for a plethora of LiR-mediated reactions. They are highly sought-after but remain a synthetic challenge for organometallic chemists. In this work, we report the synthesis and characterisation of a monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex, namely (Li(CH2SiMe3)(kappa(3)-N,N',N ''-Me(6)Tren)] (1), where Me(6)Tren is a tetradentate neutral amine ligand. The structure of 1 was comprehensively examined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, variable temperature NMR spectroscopy and electron absorption spectroscopy. Complex 1 decomposes via ligand C-H and C-N activations to produce a Li amide complex 2. Preliminary reactivity studies of 1 reveal C=O insertion and C-H activation reaction patterns.

Automated summary

This study reports the synthesis and characterization of a monomeric (trimethylsilyl)methyl lithium complex, and preliminary reactivity studies reveal C=O insertion and C-H activation reaction patterns.