N,N‘-Diisopropyl-N‘ ‘-bis(trimethylsilyl)guanidinate Ligand as a Supporting Coordination Environment in Yttrium Chemistry. Synthesis, Structure, and Properties of Complexes [(Me₃Si)₂NC(Ni-Pr)₂]YCl₂(THF)₂, [(Me₃Si)₂NC(Ni-Pr)₂]Y(CH₂SiMe₃)₂(THF)₂, and [(Me₃Si)₂NC(Ni-Pr)₂]Y[(μ-H)(μ-Et)₂BEt]₂(THF)

The reaction of anhydrous YCl3 with an equimolar amount of lithium N,N'-diisopropyl-N' '-bis(trimethylsilyl)guanidinate, Li[(Me3Si)2NC(Ni-Pr)2], in tetrahydrofuran (THF) afforded the monomeric monoguanidinate dichloro complex {(Me3Si)2NC(Ni-Pr)2}YCl2(THF)2 (1). Alkylation of complex 1 with 2 equiv of LiCH2SiMe3 in hexane at 0 degrees C yielded the monomeric salt-free dialkyl complex {(Me3Si)2NC(Ni-Pr)2}Y(CH2SiMe3)2(THF)2 (2). The bis(triethylborohydride) complex [(Me3Si)2NC(Ni-Pr)2]Y[(mu-H)(mu-Et)2BEt]2(THF) (5) was prepared by the reaction of complex 1 with 2 equiv of LiBEt3H in a toluene-THF mixture at 0 degrees C. The complexes 1, 2, and 5 were structurally characterized. Complex 2 as well as the systems 2-Ph3B, 2-Ph3B-MAO, and 1-MAO (MAO = methylaluminoxanes) in toluene were inactive in ethylene polymerization, while the product obtained in situ from the reaction of complex 2 with a 2-fold molar excess of PhSiH3 in toluene polymerized ethylene with moderate activity.