Synthesis and characterization of silver(I) complexes with C-alkyl functionalized N,N′-diphenylamidinates:: Tetrameric and trimeric structural motifs

N,N'-Diphenylamidines and the silver(I) complexes of their deprotonated anions have been synthesized. Previously uncharacterized tetrameric structural motifs were produced by the inclusion of alkyl substituents at the amidinate carbon. The addition of a 2-methoxy functional group to the phenyl ring resulted in a cationic silver trimer in which hydrogen bonding links silver(I)bound water molecules to the methoxy substituents. The thermal stabilities of the tetrameric species vary with alkyl chain length. The new complexes are: tetrakis(N,N'-diphenylpropamidinato) tetra silver(I), 1, tetrakis(N',N'-diphenylbutamidinato) tetrasilver(I) 2, tetrakis(N,N'-diphenylpentamidinato) tetra silver(I) 3, (N,N'-diphenyloctamidinato)silver(I) 4, (tetrakis(N,N'-di(4-n-butyl)phenylpropamidinato)tetrasilver(I), 5, bis(N,N'-di(2-methoxy)phenylacetamidinato)diaquatrisilver(I) nitrate 6 and tetrakis(N,N'-di(4-methoxy)phenylacetamidinato)tetrasilver(I), 7. Compounds I, 5, 6 and 7 were structurally characterized by X-ray methods.