Organoberyllium chemistry
Organoberyllium chemistry involves the synthesis and properties of organometallic compounds featuring the group 2 alkaline earth metal beryllium. The area remains less developed relative to the chemistry of other main-group elements, because Be compounds are toxic and few applications have been found.
Structure
Homoleptic compounds
The coordination number of Be in organoberyllium compounds ranges from two to four.Dimethylberyllium and dimethylmagnesium adopt the same structure. Diethylberyllium, however, does not structurally resemble diethylmagnesium. This contrast is attributed to the small size of Be relative to its heavier congener Mg: Be is one of the smallest atoms on the periodic table. Dineopentylberyllium and many other dialkyl derivatives has been reported.
The phenyl derivative is represented by trimeric Be3Ph6. A terphenyl derivative is known. With bulky aryl ligands three-coordination is observed, see.
Organoberyllium compounds are typically prepared by transmetallation or alkylation of beryllium chloride.
Beryllocene
features both pi- and sigma-bonded cyclopentadienyl ligands.It is prepared from and potassium cyclopentadienide:
Mixed ligand compounds
Many mixed ligand complexes are simply formed by addition of Lewis bases to diaryl and dialkylberyllium compounds. Many derivatives are known of the type are known where L = thioether, pyridine, NHC, and 1,4-Diazabutadienes.Beryllium forms a variety of complexes with N-hetereocyclic carbenes.
Low oxidation beryllium chemistry
While the +2-oxidation state is by far the most common for Be, compounds containing Be and Be have been described. A number of beryllium complexes with cyclic alkyl amino carbene ligands have been proposed to feature low-oxidation state beryllium centres. However, these low-oxidation state formulations have been contested due to the redox non-innocence of CAAC ligands. Unambiguous low-oxidation state organo-beryllium complexes with Be–Be bonds have been synthesized by the group of Simon Aldridge.History
Dimethylberyllium was reported in 1876. A. Atterberg produced this first organoberyllium compound by treatment of dimethylmercury with elemental beryllium.The alkylation of beryllium halides was studied by H. Gilman. Early systematic work was conducted by G. E. Coates.