Magnesium polymeric species formation

SCHEME 23.16 Postulated formation of the propagating enolate species in MMA polymerization with magnesium alkyl initiators. 

Interest in the synthesis and structural characterisation of less common metalloorganophosphide systems has continued. A range of alkali metal complexes of the phosphide anion (48) has been prepared from the lithio-phosphide by simple metathesis with alkali metal alkoxides. The lithio-phosphide exists as a dimer, but crystallisation of the sodium and potassium drivatives in the presence of TMEDA results in the formation of monomeric species. The caesium triphosphenide (49), involving a phosphorus analogue of the allyl anion, has been prepared from the previously described sodium complex. Unlike the sodium and potassium complexes, which are monomeric, the caesium complex has a polymeric structure. A variety of arylphosphide complexes of magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium have been prepared and their solid state structures characterised. Cop-per(I)-, silver(I)- and gold(I)-complexes of the cyclo-(P ion have also... 

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