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.