Reactions of Cp2M (M = Ni, V) with Dilithium Diamido-Aryl Reagents; Retention and Oxidation of the Transition Metal Ions.

The reactions of dilithium 1,2-diamidobenzene, [1,2-(HN)(2)C6H4]Li-2 ((LH2)-H-1)Li-2, and dilithium 1,8-diamidonaphthalene, [1,8-(NH)(2)C10H6]Li-2 ((LH2)-H-2)Li-2, with Cp2Ni and Cp2V have been used to obtain the new complexes ((LH2)-H-2)(2)Ni{Li(THF)(2)}(2) (3), ((LH2)-H-2)(3)V{Li(THF)(2)}(3) (4) and ((LH2)-H-1)(6)Ni-6 center dot{[((LH2)-H-1)(3)((LH)-H-1)(3)Ni6Li(THF)](2-)center dot 2[Li(THF)(4)](+)} (5), in which retention or oxidation of the initial metal(II) centre is observed. Whereas 3 and 4 contain one transition metal ion within ion-paired structures, 5 has a complicated co-crystalline composition which contains octahedral Ni-6-cages constructed from six square-planar (16e) Ni-II centres.