Syntheses and structures of (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)iridium amidinate complexes

Reaction of [Cp*IrCl2] with lithium amidinates provides an entry to a series of Cp*Ir(RNR'CNR)X (1, X = Cl 2, X = Br) complexes. Alkyl or hydride derivatives are formed by addition, of a variety of Grignard reagents or sodium isopropoxide to 1 or 2. Cationic complexes may be obtained by the interaction of 2 with AgSbF6 in the presence of an appropriate ligand. In all of these compounds, the amidinate ligand adopts a symmetrical, bidentate coordination geometry.