Lithiation of (tBuNH)3PNSiMe3 and Formation of Tetraimidophosphate Complexes Containing M3O3 Rings (M = Li, K): X-ray Structure of the Stable Radical {(Me3SiN)P(μ3-NtBu)3[μ3-Li(THF)]3(OtBu)}

The reaction of ((t)BuNH)(3)PNSiMe(3) (1) with 1 equiv of (n)BuLi results in the formation of Li[P(NH(t)Bu)(2)(N(t)Bu)(NSiMe(3))] (2); treatment of 2 with a second equivalent of (n)BuLi produces the dilithium salt Li(2)[P(NH(t)Bu)(N(t)Bu)(2)(NSiMe(3))] (3). Similarly, the reaction of 1 and (n)BuLi in a 1:3 stoichiometry produces the trilithiated species Li(3)[P(N(t)Bu)(3)(NSiMe(3))] (4). These three complexes represent imido analogues of dihydrogen phosphate [H(2)PO(4)](-), hydrogen phosphate [HPO(4)](2)(-), and orthophosphate [PO(4)](3)(-), respectively. Reaction of 4 with alkali metal alkoxides MOR (M = Li, R = SiMe(3); M = K, R = (t)Bu) generates the imido-alkoxy complexes [Li(3)[P(N(t)Bu)(3)(NSiMe(3))](MOR)(3)] (8, M = Li; 9, M = K). These compounds were characterized by multinuclear ((1)H, (7)Li, (13)C, and (31)P) NMR spectroscopy and, in the cases of 2, 8, and 9.3THF, by X-ray crystallography. In the solid state, 2 exists as a dimer with Li-N contacts serving to link the two Li[P(NH(t)Bu)(2)(N(t)Bu)(NSiMe(3))] units. The monomeric compounds 8 and 9.3THF consist of a rare M(3)O(3) ring coordinated to the (LiN)(3) unit of 4. The unexpected formation of the stable radical [(Me(3)SiN)P(mu(3)-N(t)Bu)(3)[mu(3)-Li(THF)](3)(O(t)Bu)] (10) is also reported. X-ray crystallography indicated that 10 has a distorted cubic structure consisting of the radical dianion [P(N(t)Bu)(3)(NSiMe(3))](.2)(-), two lithium cations, and a molecule of LiO(t)Bu in the solid state. In dilute THF solution, the cube is disrupted to give the radical monoanion [(Me(3)SiN)((t)BuN)P(mu-N(t)Bu)(2)Li(THF)(2)](.-), which was identified by EPR spectroscopy.