Salen-type compounds of calcium and strontium.

Salen complexes of the heavy alkaline-earth metals, calcium and strontium, were prepared by the reaction of various salen(t-Bu)H(2) ligands with the metals in ethanol. Six new calcium and strontium compounds, [Ca(salen(t-Bu))(HOEt)(2)(thf)] (1), [Ca(salen(t-Bu))(HOEt)(2)] (2), [Ca(salpen(t-Bu))(HOEt)(3)] (3), [Ca(salophen(t-Bu))(HOEt)(thf)] (4), [Sr(salen(t-Bu))(HOEt)(3)] (5), and [Sr(salophen(t-Bu))(HOEt)(thf)(2)] (6), were formed in this way with the quatridentate Schiff-base ligands N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)ethylenediamine (salen(t-Bu)H(2)), N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,3-propanediamine (salpen(t-Bu)H(2)), and N,N'-o-phenylenebis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylideneimine (salophen(t-Bu)H(2)). Initially, ammonia solutions of the metals were combined with the salen(t-Bu)H(2) ligands, and in the reaction of strontium with salen(t-Bu)H(2), the unusual tetrametallic cluster [(OC(6)H(2)(t-Bu)(2)CHN(CH(2))(2)NH(2))Sr(mu(3)-salean(t-Bu)H(2))Sr(mu(3)-OH)](2) (7) was produced (salean(t-Bu)H(4) = N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-2-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine). In this compound, the imine bonds of the salen(t-Bu)H(2) ligand were reduced to form the known ligands salean(t-Bu)H(4) and (HO)C(6)H(2)(t-Bu)(2)CHN(CH(2))(2)NH(2). Compounds 1, 5, 6, and 7 were structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Crystal data for 1 (C(44)H(74)CaN(2)O(6)): triclinic space group P(-)1, a = 8.3730(10) A, b = 14.8010(10) A, c = 18.756(2) A, alpha = 72.551(10) degrees, beta = 81.795(10) degrees, gamma = 78.031(10) degrees, Z = 2. Crystal data for 5 (C(38)H(64)SrN(2)O(5)): monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, a = 23.634(3) A, b = 8.4660(10) A, c = 24.451(3) A, beta = 101.138(10) degrees, Z = 4. Crystal data for 6 (C(46)H(67)N(2)O(5)Sr): orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1), a = 10.5590(2) A, b = 16.2070(3) A, c = 26.7620(6) A, Z = 4. Crystal data for 7 (C(98)H(156)N(8)O(8)Sr(4)): triclinic space group P(-)1, a = 14.667(1) A, b = 15.670(1) A, c = 18.594(2) A, alpha = 92.26(1) degrees, beta = 111.84(1) degrees, gamma = 117.12(1) degrees, Z = 4.