Soluble Ni-II alkoxides based on dimethylaminoisopropoxide ligands: molecular structure of [Li(Pr-i;OH)Ni(eta(2)-OR)(2)Cl](2) and of cis-NiCl2(ROH)(2) (R=CHMeCH2NMe2)

Various routes to Ni-II-aminoalkoxides have been investigated. A nickel isopropoxide derivative 1 was prepared by anodic dissolution of the metal in the presence of LiCl as electrolyte. Alcoholysis reactions of 1 with 1-dimethylamino-2-propanol afforded the homoleptic nickel(II) aminoalkoxide 2 together with a Ni-Li species 3. 2 was also obtained by metathesis reactions between sodium alkoxide and the nickel hexammine complex whereas the reaction between the latter and the aminoalcohol led to an halide solvate, cis-NiCl2(eta(2)-ROH)(2), 4. The various compounds were characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR and UV-vis spectroscopies as well as by X-ray diffraction for 3 and 4. 3 corresponds to [Li((PrOH)-O-i)Ni(eta(2)-OCHMeCH2NMe2)Cl](2) and the overall structure can be seen as two [Ni(eta(2)-OCHMeCH2NMe2)(2)Cl](-) moieties assembled by Li((PrOH)-O-i)(+). The lithium atom is 4-coordinate due to its interaction with the oxygen atoms of the aminoalkoxide ligands. Nickel is 5-coordinate with a distorted tetragonal pyramidal stereochemistry, one nitrogen being in the apical position. The metal displays a distorted octahedral surrounding for the NiCl2 adduct 4. The bond distances vary in the order Ni-OR < Ni-N approximate to Ni-O(H)R < Ni-Cl for 3 and 4. The various compounds (except 1) are soluble in organic media. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.