Facile synthesis of alkaline-earth-metal β-diketonates and the structure of the loose dimer [{Ca(hfpd)2}2(heptaglyme)] [hfpd = F3CCOCHCOCF3 and heptaglyme = Me(OCH2CH2)7 OMe)]
The reaction of the Group 2 metal hydroxides, oxides or carbonates in 95% ethanol in the presence of a suitable glyme ligand L–L [i.e. Me(OCH 2 CH 2 ) n OMe, n = 3, 4 or 7] and a β-diketone, has yielded either [M(β-diket) 2 (L–L)] or [{M(β-diket) 2 } 2 (L–L)] [M = Mg–Ba; β-diket = Htmhd (2,2,6,6-tetramethylheptane-3,5-dione), Hhfpd (1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dione), Hdppd (1,3-diphenylpropane-1,3-dione) or Hfod (1,1,1,2,2,3,3-heptafluoro-7,7-dimethyloctane-4,6-dione, L–L = tri-, tetra- or hepta-glyme)]. The crystal structure of the complex [{Ca(hfpd) 2 } 2 (heptaglyme)] has been determined, revealing it to contain two Ca(hfpd) 2 units linked by a glyme ligand in an unusual symmetrical bridging/chelating mode.