Formation and solid state structure of a tetranuclear oxoaryloxide cluster of barium, [Ba 4 (µ 4 -O)(µ 2 -OC 6 H 2 (CH 2 NMe 2 ) 3 -2,4,6) 6 ]·3(toluene)

The tetranuclear oxo–aryloxide cluster, [Ba4(µ4-O)(µ2-OC6H2(CH2NMe2)3-2,4,6)6]·3(toluene), synthesized from the reaction of K[(OC6H2(CH2NMe2)3-2,4,6] and BaI2 in tetrahydrofuran, crystallizes from toluene as a tetrahedron of barium atoms encapsulating a single oxo ligand, the metal centres coordinated by six µ2-aryloxide groups and the nitrogen atoms of the ortho-dimethylaminomethyl groups.