Attempt
ed 2-fold deprotonation of the bis(iminophosphorano)methane ligand, H
2C(Ph
2P=NSiMe
3)
2(
4-H
2), with a calcium amide l
ed only to mono-deprotonation. The crystal structure of (
4-H)
2Ca showstwo tridentate ligands with short Ca-N and a rather long Ca-C bond. Reaction of
4-H
2 with adibenzylcalcium complex gave the desir
ed 2-fold deprotonation and formation of
4-Ca, which crystalliz
edas a dimeric complex. Analysis of the calculat
ed atomic and group charges in
4-H
2, (
4-H)
2Ca, and [
4-Ca]
2show
ed that the negative charge at the imine nitrogens only slightly increases upon successive deprotonationof
4-H
2. The electron density at the central carbon, however, increases considerably: the charge on thecarbene carbon in [
4-Ca]
2 is ca. -1.8. The negative charge in
42- is therefore mainly locat
ed on thecarbon. Reaction of [
4-Ca]
2 with benzophenone in benzene gave the remarkably stable adduct[
4-Ca]
2·O=CPh
2, which was characteriz
ed by X-ray diffraction. Reaction of [
4-Ca]
2 with adamantylcyanidegave exclusive formation of the adduct [
4-Ca]
2·(N
CR)
2, which did not react further, even at highertemperatures. Addition of cyclohexyl isocyanate to a benzene solution of [
4-Ca]
2 gave imm
ediate [2 + 2]-cycloaddition and formation of a dianionic tetradentate ligand that binds to Ca
2+ through two nitrogens, thecentral carbon, and an oxygen. This product crystalliz
ed as a dimer with bridging oxygen atoms.