Bis trimethylsilyl methyl magnesium

Submitted by RICHARD A. ANDERSEN and GEOFFREY WILKINSON Checked by M. F. LAPPERTt and R. PEARCE  

4-Dioxane (45 mL, 0.52 mole), distilled from sodium under nitrogen, is added dropwise with rapid stirring over about 1-2 hours. After addition is complete the reflux condenser is replaced by a stopper and the dropping funnel is replaced 

Base-free dialkylmagnesium is sensitive to oxygen and reacts violently with water. It melts at 200-205°, though it does not sublime until 180° in vacuum. It is insoluble in benzene and petroleum ether, although it is readily soluble in diethyl ether and tetrahydrofuran. The diethyl ether solutions are conveniently stored at 0-5°. The titer does not change over a period of 1 month. The compound can be further characterized as its Af. /V)jV,jV,-tetramethylethylene-diamine complex, [Mg(Me3Si)CH2]2 tmed, mp 93-95°. 

Submitted by ROBERT WEST, LAWRENCE BROUGH and WIESLAW WOJNOWSKlt Checked by DONALD A. VAN BEEK, JR. and A. LOUIS ALLRED  

The compound is generally soluble in organic liquids and is stable indefinitely in air. After two recrystallizations its melting point is 254-257° (sealed tube  

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The potentially bidentate a-(2-pyridyl)-a,a-bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl monoanionic ligand also has been used in a variety of organometallic derivatives. Its magnesium derivative bis[a-(2-pyridyl)-a,a-bis(trimethylsilyl)methyl]magnesium (70) has been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography (Figure 41) ° . 

The reaction of the polynuclear complex Ru2(OAc)4Cl with bis(trimethylsilyl-methyl)magnesium, Mg(CH2SiMe3)2, leads to the abstraction of the S hydrogen atom and formation of the chelating compound ... 

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