Inorganic Chemistry, Vol.41, No.24, 6249-6257, 2002
Synthesis and structures of gallium amido imido phenyl clusters (PhGa)(4)((NHBu)-Bu-i)(4)((NBu)-Bu-i)(2) and (PhGa)(7)(NHMe)(4)(NMe)(5)
The phenylgallium-containing clusters constructed with bridging imido and amido ligands, (PhGa)(4)(NHBu)(4)(NBu)(2) (1) (51% yield) and (PhGa)(7)(NHMe)(4)(NMe)(5) (2) (31% yield), were synthesized from the room-temperature reactions of bis(dimethylamido)phenylgallium, [PhGa(NMe2)(2)](2), with isobutylamine and methylamine, respectively. The reaction of [PhGa(NMe2)(2)](2) in refluxing isobutylamine (85 degreesC) afforded (Ph2GaNH'Bu)(2) as one of the products, while the reaction of [PhGa(NMe2)212 with methylamine at 150 degreesC afforded compound 2 in only 9% yield. Compound 1 possessed an admantane-like Ga4N6 core, whereas compound 2 had a novel Ga7N9 core constructed with both chair- and boat-shaped Ga3N3 rings. The presence of several isomers of compounds 1 and 2 in solution is discussed along the structural similarities with other known gallium-nitrogen clusters and with gallium nitride.