The reactions
and adducts of 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene with bis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)magnesium, -calcium, -strontium, -barium, or -zinc are described. Aconsistent tend in the spectroscopic properties
and structures of the alkaline earthmetallocenes is observed. The adduct between 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene
andbis(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)zinc shows a structure in which the zinc is only
-bondedto the three ligating groups. Among the alkaline earth adducts, the
-bonded interaction tothe former carbene center of the 1,3,4,5-tetramethylimidazol-2-ylidene shows the shortestmetal-carbon distances in each of the structures but the difference between the carbene-metal
and pentamethylcyclopentadienyl-metal distances decreases as the atomic numberof the metal increases.