Synthesis and structures of new binuclear zinc alkyl, aryl and aryloxo complexes

The synthesis of a series of binuclear zinc complexes with Cl, N and O bridges is reported. The reaction of EtZnCl with B(C6F5)3 in the presence of hexamethylbenzene affords the arene complex [Zn(μ-Cl)(C6F5)(η-C6Me6)]2 in which the C6Me6 ligand may be regarded as η3-bonded. The comproportionation of Zn[N(SiMe3)2]2 with ZnBut2 or Zn(C6F5)2 · toluene gave [ButZn{μ-N(SiMe3)2}]2 and [C6F5Zn{μ-N(SiMe3)2}]2, respectively, with three-coordinate zinc. The reaction of ZnEt2 with C6F5OH in the presence of pyridine gave [EtZn(μ-OC6F5)(py)]2, while ZnMe2 and C6F5OH followed by recrystallisation from THF gave [Zn(OC6F5)(μ-OC6F5)(THF)2]2 with five-coordinate zinc in a trigonal-bipyramidal geometry. The structures of these compounds have been determined.