SOME UNUSUAL ORGANO-ZINC AND ORGANO-MERCURY COMPOUNDS - THE CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES OF THE COMPOUNDS [(HOME2SI)(ME3SI)2C]2ZN, [(MEOME2SI)(ME3SI)2C]2ZN, AND [(MEOME2SI)(ME3SI)2C]2HG

The preparation of the novel mercurial [(MeOMe2Si)(Me3Si)2C]2Hg is described. X-ray diffraction studies show that the molecules of this compound and its zinc analogue are centrosymmetric (and the C-M-C linkage thus linear), but in the former the OMe group is directed away from the metal atom whereas in the latter it lies in towards the metal, with an O...Zn distance of 2.93 angstrom. In crystals of [(HOMe2Si)(Me3Si)2C]2Zn there is hydrogen bonding between the two oxygen atoms within each molecule, and hydrogen bonding between two molecules to give discrete dimers. Because of the hydrogen bonding the C-Zn-C linkage is slightly bent (the angle is 175.9(1)-degrees), and the geometries of the two (HOMe2Si)(Me3Si)2C groups are significantly different.