Electronic nature of zwitterionic alkali metal methanides, silanides and germanides - a combined experimental and computational approach.

Zwitterionic group 14 complexes of the alkali metals of formula [C(SiMeOCHCHOMe)M], (M-), [Si(SiMeOCHCHOMe)M], (M-), [Ge(SiMeOCHCHOMe)M], (M-), where M = Li, Na or K, have been prepared, structurally characterized and their electronic nature was investigated by computational methods. Zwitterions M- and M- were synthesized reactions of [Si(SiMeOCHCHOMe)] () and [Ge(SiMeOCHCHOMe)] () with MOBu (M = Li, Na or K), resp., in almost quantitative yields, while M- were prepared from deprotonation of [HC(SiMeOCHCHOMe)] () with LiBu , NaCHPh and KCHPh, resp. X-ray crystallographic studies and DFT calculations in the gas-phase, including calculations of the NPA charges confirm the zwitterionic nature of these compounds, with the alkali metal cations being rigidly locked and charge separated from the anion by the internal OCHCHOMe donor groups. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis and the second order perturbation theory analysis of the NBOs reveal significant hyperconjugative interactions in M--M-, primarily between the lone pair and the antibonding Si-O orbitals, the extent of which decreases in the order M- > M- > M-. The experimental basicities and the calculated gas-phase basicities of M--M- reveal the zwitterionic alkali metal methanides M- to be significantly stronger bases than the analogous silanides M- and germanium M-.