Yttrium calix[4]arene complexes. Silylation and silylamine elimination reactions on model oxo surfaces

The synthesis and the spectroscopic and structural characterization of lower-rim-silylated and rare-earth-metalated calix[4]arenes are presented. Hexamethyldisilazane, HN(SiMe3)2, reacted in a selective manner with [p-tert-buttylcalix[4]arene]H4 (1) in refluxing mesitylene to give the 1,3-silylated product [p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene(SiMe3)2]H2 (2) in high yield. The molecular structure of compound 2, as revealed by X-ray crystallography, shows the pinched cone conformation of the calixarene bowl, featuring hydrogen bonding between the phenylsilyl ether and phenolic oxygen atoms (O...O, 2.838 A). From the reaction of the sterically more crowded tetraphenyldimethyldisilazane, HN(SiMePh2)2, only starting material could be recovered. In contrast, tetramethyldisilazane, HN(SiHMe2)2, afforded the tetrakis-silylated product [p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene(SiHMe2)4] (3) in hexane solution at ambient temperature. A single-crystal X-ray diffraction study of compound 3 established the 1,2-alternate conformation, which is also present in solution, as indicated by 1H NMR spectroscopy. The yttrium complex Y[N(SiHMe2)2]3(THF)2 (4) exchanged all of its silylamide ligands when treated with an equimolar amount of 1 in toluene at ambient temperature to yield compound 5, as indicated by IR and NMR spectroscopy. The molecular structure of 5 revealed a centrosymmetric dimer of composition [Y(p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene(SiHMe2)(THF)]2. Three of the deprotonated phenolic oxygen atoms of the calixarene bowl bind to the metal center, two as terminal ligands and one in a bridging mode, while the fourth undergoes in situ silylation (nu(SiH) 2127 cm-1). The distorted-trigonal-bipyramidal coordination geometry is completed by a THF molecule. Bis-silylated 2 reacted with 4 to form the heteroleptic complex (Y[p-tert-butylcalix[4]arene(SiMe3)2][N(SiHMe2)2]) (6). Crystal data: C50H72O4Si2 (2), triclinic, P1, a = 12.8914(3) A, b = 14.9270(5) A, c = 15.1652(4) A, alpha = 77.293(2) degrees, beta = 65.019(2) degrees, gamma = 72.234(2) degrees, Z = 2; C52H80O4Si4 (3), triclinic, P1, a = 10.1774(2) A, b = 14.1680(2) A, c = 18.7206(2) A, alpha = 95.8195(8) degrees, beta = 95.5294(8) degrees, gamma = 98.1098(7) degrees, Z = 2; C100H132O10Si2Y2, 2(C6H6) (5), triclinic, P1, a = 13.2625(4) A, b = 14.5894(3) A, c = 17.0458(5) A, alpha = 65.0986(14) degrees, beta = 77.8786(8) degrees, gamma = 85.5125(13) degrees, Z = 1.