Dihydrogen pnictogenides of the alkaline earth metals beryllium, magnesium and calcium.

Alkaline earth metal dihydrogen pnictogenides were obtained by deprotonation of PnH3 (Pn = P, As) with M(hmds)2 (M = Mg, Ca, Pn = P, As, hmds = hexamethyldisilazanide) in pyridine as the solvent. The beryllium compounds [Be(tmeda)(PH2)2] (tmeda = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylene diamine) and [Be(tmeda)(AsH2)2] were accessible via salt metathesis reactions between BeCl2 and [Li(tmeda)PnH2]. The products were examined by means of NMR and IR spectroscopy as well as X-ray diffraction experiments.