Alcoholysis of Complexes Derived from Volatile Acids Weaker Than Alcohols

2 Alcoholysis of Complexes Derived from Volatile Acids Weaker Than Alcohols 

Complexes transforming into alkoxides on reaction with alcohols are available for many metal elements. It is important to keep in mind that these compounds 

The approach exploiting silamide reactants is especially fruitful in the synthesis of alkoxides of heavy main group metals - Zn, Sn(II), and Pb(II) - for which high-quality anhydrous chlorides are available. The latter undergo a facile reaction with LiN(SiMes)2 in diethyl ether offering volatile metal silamides easily purified by distillation [113]  

The silamides are quite stable thermally for the heavy main group elements so that the distillation can be run directly from the crude reaction mixture without any noticeable loss of the products from decomposition. 

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