Soluble zinc bis(aryloxides)

Alcoholysis of ZnEt/sub 2/ with HOAr (Ar = 2,6-di-tert-butylphenyl) proceeds no further than (EtZnOAr)/sub 4/. Treatment of ZnBr/sub 2/ with KOAr gives the adduct KZn(OAr)/sub 2/Br. However, alcoholysis of Zn(N(SiMe/sub 3/)/sub 2/)/sub 2/ yields, in benzene, dimeric (Zn(OAr)/sub 2/)/sub 2/. Treatment of HOAr' (Ar' = 2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl) with the zinc amide in THF yields Zn(OAr')/sub 2/(THF), which may be recrystallized in the presence of excess THF to produce a solid shown by X-ray diffraction to be Zn(OAr')/sub 2/(THF)/sub 2/, containing quasi-tetrahedral Zn(II). This solid dissolves in benzene with liberation of 1 mol of THF. Crystal data (-161/sup 0/C): space group P2/sub 1//c with Z = 4 and a = 17.604 (9) A, b = 15.607 (8)A, c = 17.679 (8) A, and ..beta.. = 114.19 (2)/sup 0/.