Multinuclear Alkali Metal Complexes of a Triphenylene-Based Hexamine and the Transmetalation to Tris(N-heterocyclic tetrylenes) (Ge, Sn, Pb).

A C3-symmetric hexamine (LH6) based on the triphenylene and ortho-phenylenediamine (PDAH2) skeletons has been synthesized, and was partially or fully deprotonated upon treatment with alkali metal agents to afford amino-amido or diamido coordination sites. Four alkali metal complexes, the dinuclear [Na2(LH4)(DME)5] (1) and [K2(LH4)(DME)4] (2), trinuclear [K3(LH3)(DME)6] (3), and hexanuclear [Li6(L)(DME)6] (4), were obtained and used in transmetalation/ligand exchange with other metals. The hexalithium salt of the fully deprotonated ligand, [Li6L], reacted with heavier group 14 element halides to yield three tris(N-heterocyclic tetrylenes), the germylene [Ge3(L)] (5), stannylene [Sn3(L)] (6), and plumbylene [Pb3(L)] (7). The synthesis and crystal and electronic structures of these compounds are reported.