SYNTHESIS AND CHEMISTRY OF THE BIS(TRIMETHYLSILYL)AMIDO BISTETRAHYDROFURANATES OF THE GROUP-2 METALS MAGNESIUM, CALCIUM, STRONTIUM AND BARIUM - X-RAY CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES OF MG[N(SIME3)2]2.2THF AND RELATED MN[N(SIME3)2]2.2THF

Transamination reactions utilizing the compound mercuric bis(trimethylsilyl)amide, Hg{N(SiMe3)2}2, in tetrahydrofuran (THF), and the metals Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba and Al have been investigated. Thus the THF solvated compounds Na[N(SiMe3)2] . THF and M[N(SiMe3)2]2 . 2THF, M = Mg, Ca, Sr and Ba (1-4), have been prepared. The X-ray crystal structures of 1 and the related manganese compound Mn[N(SiMe3)2]2 . 2THF (5) are reported. Interaction of the silylamides, 2-4, with a range of crown ethers apparently proceeded with elimination of silylamine, (Me3Si)2NH, and novel ring opening of the crown ethers, generating species containing a donor alkoxide ligand with a vinyl ether function, presumably, -O(CH2CH2O)(n)CH=CH2 (n = 3-5). The silylamides 2-4 were also cleanly converted to the corresponding alkoxides (from H-1 NMR data) in reactions with stoichiometric quantities of 3-ethyl-3-pentanol.