Metalation amides

Inorganic amides contain the ion NH2". They are formed by the action of ammonia on metals or by the ammonolysis of nitrides. The heavy metal amides are prepared by meta-thetical reactions in liquid ammonia, e.g. 

The alkali amides are stable, crystalline salts the heavy metal amides are often explosive. The amides are the bases of the ammonia system. 

The conversion of acetylenes into acetyl ides, M-C=C-R (M = Li, Na, K, MgBr), by means of alkyllithium or Grignard reagents in organic solvents or by alkali metal amides in liquid ammonia is well documented (for practical examples see ref. 1, for review articles consult inter alia refs. 2-5). 

RCsC-H + C2H5U, Ci,HqLi or alkali metal amide ... 

Deprotonation of terminal acetylenes by organolithiurn compounds in organic solvents or by alkali metal amides is an extremely fast reaction, even at very... 

The last isomerization is remarkable in that the triple bond can shift through a long carbon chain to the terminus, where it is fixed as the (kinetically) stable acetylide. The reagent is a solution of potassium diami no-propyl amide in 1,3-di-aminopropane. In some cases alkali metal amides in liquid ammonia car also bring about "contra-thermodynamic" isomerizations the reactions are successful only if the triple bond is in the 2-position. 

This isomerization, which must proceed through a 1,2,3-trienylanine, is not "contra-thermodynamic", since with a catalytic amount of potassium tert.-butoxide the same result is obtained. Enyne ethers, H2C=CH-CsC-0R, undergo a similar conversion into HCeC-CH=CH-OR upon interaction with alkali metal amides in liquid NH3, followed by hydrolysis . Enyne sulphides, H2C=CH-CsC-SR, and the hydrocarbons H2C=CH-CsC-R (R = or phenyl) give only tars or polymeric products under... 

Hydrazinium salts, N2H5 X, are acids in anhydrous hydrazine, metallic hydrazides, N2H, are bases. Neutralization in this solvent system involves the hydrazinium and hydrazide ions and is the reverse of equation 7. Metal hydrazides, formally analogous to the metal amides, are prepared from anhydrous hydrazine and the metals as well as from metal amides, alkyls, or hydrides. (The term hydrazide is also used for organic compounds where the carboxyUc acid OH is substituted with a N2H2.) Sodium hydrazide [13598-47-5] is made from sodium or, more safely, from sodium amide (14) ... 

Acetyhdes of the alkaU and alkaline-earth metals are formed by reaction of acetylene with the metal amide in anhydrous Hquid ammonia. 

Ethyleneknine dimer has been synthesized using catalytic amounts of an alkaU metal amide of ethyleneknine under alkaline conditions (89,90). 

From Metal Amides. Dimethyl and diethyl amides of some metals react smoothly to give good yields of certain metal alkoxides that are otherwise difficult to obtain (71,72). 

Potassium dissolves in Hquid ammonia, but the conversion of a small amount of the metallic potassium to the metallic amide takes several days. By applying the same technique using sodium metal, sodium amide [7782-92-5] NaNH2, a white soHd, can be formed. 

Iminoboianes have been suggested as intermediates in the formation of compounds derived from the pyrolysis of azidoboranes (77). The intermediate is presumed to be a boryl-substituted nitrene, RR BN, which then rearranges to the amino iminoborane, neither of which has been isolated (78). Another approach to the synthesis of amino iminoboranes involves the dehydrohalogenation of mono- and bis(amino)halobotanes as shown in equation 21. Bulky alkah-metal amides, MNR, have been utilized successfully as the strong base,, in such a reaction scheme. Use of hthium-/i /f-butyl(ttimethylsilyl)amide yields an amine, DH, which is relatively volatile (76,79). 

In recent years this simple picture has been completely transformed and it is now recognized that the alkali metals have a rich and extremely varied coordination chemistry which frequently transcends even that of the transition metals. The efflorescence is due to several factors such as the emerging molecular chemistry of lithium in particular, the imaginative use of bulky ligands, the burgeoning numbers of metal amides, alkoxides, enolates and organometallic compounds, and the exploitation of multidentate... 

Nitrogen forms binary compounds with almost all elements of the periodic table and for many elements several stoichiometries are observed, e.g. MnN, Mn Ns, Mn3N2, MniN, Mn4N and Mn tN (9.2 < jc < 25.3). Nitrides are frequently classified into 4 groups salt-like , covalent, diamond-like and metallic (or interstitial ). The remarks on p. 64 concerning the limitations of such classifications are relevant here. The two main methods of preparation are by direct reaction of the metal with Ni or NH3 (often at high temperatures) and the thermal decomposition of metal amides, e.g. ... 

Common variants include reduction of a metal oxide or halide in the presence of N2 and the formation of a metal amide as an intermediate in reactions in liquid NH3 ... 

Organometallic reagents and alkali metal amides can react via a cyclic transition state (Section II, B, 5) beginning with electrophilic attack at the most basic ring-nitrogen. As a result, sodamide (in dimethylaniline, 145°, 2 hr) yields the 4-amino derivatives (40% yield S)) methyl- or phenyl-magnesium iodides give the 4-adduct quantitatively.s ... 

Most successful approaches involving addition reactions in the presence of chiral additives utilize organolithium, organomagnesium and the recently introduced organotitanium reagents, which are known to coordinate with amines, ethers, metal amides and alkoxides. 

Pyridine and other heterocyclic nitrogen compounds can be aminated with alkali metal amides in a process called the Chichibabin reaction The attack is always in the 2 position unless both such positions are filled, in which case the 4 position is attacked. Substituted alkali metal amides (e.g., RNH and R2N ) have also been used. The mechanism is probably similar to that of 13-15. The existence of intermediate ions such as 15... 

Benzylic quaternary ammonium salts, when treated with alkali metal amides, undergo a rearrangement called the Sommelet-Hauser rearrangementSince the product is a benzylic tertiary amine, it can be further alkylated and the product again subjected to the rearrangement. This process can be continued around the ring until an ortho position is blocked. ... 

Alkali metal amides and Nitriles and ethylene diamines ... 

Alkali metal amides and hydrides C Liquid ammonia B... 

Phosphides and amides are closely related, as a synthetic route is based on metathesis of metal amides, especially the respective trimethylsilyl amides, with the appropriate free acidic phosphine or an anion derived therefrom. Reaction of metal halides and trisilylphosphines is an alternative for preparing metal phosphides. 

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