METALLO-ORGANIC COMPOUNDS CONTAINING METAL–NITROGEN BONDS: PART III. DIALKYLAMINO COMPOUNDS OF TANTALUM

Abstract

Reactions involving TaCl₅ and LiX (where X = NMe₂, NEt₂, NPr₂ⁿ, NBu₂ⁿ, NMeBuⁿ, and NC₅H₁₀) were shown to produce substantially the pentaderivatives TaX₅. The thermal decomposition of TaX₅ (X = NMe₂, NEt₂, NPr₂ⁿ, NBu₂ⁿ, and NMeBuⁿ) was studied and only Ta(NMe₂)₅ could be sublimed unchanged. In other cases the main product of decomposition was a quinquevalent compound RN=Ta(NR₂)₃ and the secondary amine R₂NH. Some olefin and quadrivalent Ta(NR₂)₄ were also detected and it is believed that decomposition involves the following sequence:[Formula: see text]This is in contrast to the behavior of niobium compounds, which appears to be:[Formula: see text]