Synthesis and reactivity of aza-dipyrrin alkali metal salts.

We report the lithium, sodium and potassium salts of aza-dipyrrins and detail their use as anionic aza-dipyrrinato ligand sources in complexation. Of the three types of alkali salts studied, those of lithium are found to be most useful as synthetic precursors. For example, they selectively afford heteroleptic aza-dipyrrinato zinc complexes which can be further modified via ligand exchange.