Rare Example of Mononuclear Homoleptic Hafnium(IV) Aryloxide – Synthesis and Structure

First example of structurally characterized mononuclear homoleptic aryloxide of hafnium(IV) is reported using alkane elimination route. The herein isolated hafnium(IV) tatrakis(2,6-diisopropylphenoxide), a rare example of homoleptic group 4 aryloxides is synthesized via toluene elimination reaction by reacting four equivalents of 2,6-diisopropylphenol with tetrabenzylhafnium precursor. The compound [C48H68HfO4], crystallized in the monoclinic space group, C2/c with unit cell parameters: a = 25.3120(6) Å, b = 10.8760(4) Å, c = 20.1250(5) Å, β = 125.939(3)°, V = 4485.6(2)) A3, Z = 4. The hafnium atom adopts a tetrahedral environment composed of oxygen atoms of the aryloxide ligands with crystal packing showing C⋯H π-interactions.