Metal complexes having 4-h,6-h or 8-h dihydroazulenyl ligands and use thereof

Compounds of the general formula MAYn(AzuH) (I),

• wherein
• MA is an alkali metal,
• Y is a neutral ligand which is bonded or coordinated to MA via at least one donor atom, wherein H2O is excluded,
• n=0, 1, 2, 3, or 4
• and
• AzuH=azulene or an azulene derivative that bears a hydride anion in the 4, 6 or 8 position in addition to an H atom,
• wherein
• Azu=azulene according to the formula
• or
• Azu=an azulene derivative having an azulene scaffold according to formula II consisting of a five-membered ring and a seven-membered ring,
• wherein
• a) at least one carbon atom of the azulene scaffold selected from the group consisting of the carbon atoms C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 and C8, bears a substituent RF
• wherein the substituents RF are selected independently of one another from the group consisting of primary, secondary, tertiary alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl radicals having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cyclic alkyl radicals having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, a benzyl radical, a mononuclear or polynuclear arene and a mononuclear or polynuclear heteroarene,
• wherein two substituents RF can optionally form a ring,
• and
• b) at least one carbon atom of the azulene scaffold, selected from the group consisting of the carbon atoms C4, C6 and C8, bears an H atom,
• wherein
• the compounds Li(O(C2H5)2)n(AzulenH) and Li(O(C2H5)2)n(GuaH),
• wherein
• n=0, 1 or 2,
• AzulenH=azulene that bears a hydride anion in the 4, 6 or 8 position in addition to an H atom,
• GuaH=7-isopropyl-1,4-dimethyl-8-H-dihydroazulene
• are excluded.

Metal complexes of the general formula

• M(LK)f(AzuH)m (III)
• or
• M(LN)(AzuH)q (IV)
• or
• [M(LS)g(AzuH)v]X (V)
• or
• [M(LT)(AzuH)z]X (VI)
• wherein
• M=central metal atom selected from group 6, group 7, group 8, group 9, group 10, group 11, or group 12,
• LK=optional neutral sigma donor ligand or optional neutral pi donor ligand,
• f=number of LK ligands, where f=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6,
• AzuH=azulene or an azulene derivative that bears a hydride anion in the 4, 6 or 8 position in addition to an H atom,
• m=number of AzuH ligands, where m=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7,
• LN=at least one anionic sigma donor ligand or at least one anionic pi donor ligand, where a sum u of the negative charges of all LN ligands is −1, −2, −3, −4, −5 or −6,
• q=number of AzuH ligands, where q=w2−|u|,
• where w2>|u| and w2=2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, and where |u| is an absolute value of the sum of the negative charges of all LN ligands, where |u|=1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6,
• LS=optional neutral sigma donor ligand or optional neutral pi donor ligand,
• g=number of LS ligands, where g=0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6,
• v=number of AzuH ligands, where v=w3−1, where w3=2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7,
• LT=at least one anionic sigma donor ligand or at least one anionic pi donor ligand, where a sum h of the negative charges of all LT ligands is −1, −2, −3, −4 or −5,
• z=number of AzuH ligands, where z=w4−(|h|+1), where w4>(|h|+1) and w4=3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, and where |h| is an absolute value of the sum of the negative charges of all LT ligands, where |h|=1, 2, 3, 4, or 5,
• X−=halide anion or monovalent weakly coordinating anion or monovalent non-coordinating anion,
• wherein
• Azu=azulene according to the formula
• or
• Azu=an azulene derivative which has an azulene skeleton according to formula II, consisting of a five-membered ring and a seven-membered ring, wherein
• a) at least one carbon atom of the azulene scaffold selected from the group consisting of the carbon atoms C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7 and C8, bears a substituent RF
• wherein the substituents RF are selected independently of one another from the group consisting of primary, secondary, tertiary alkyl, alkenyl and alkynyl radicals having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, cyclic alkyl radicals having 3 to 10 carbon atoms, a benzyl radical, a mononuclear or polynuclear arene and a mononuclear or polynuclear heteroarene,
• wherein two substituents RF can optionally form a ring,
• and
• b) at least one carbon atom of the azulene scaffold, selected from the group consisting of the carbon atoms C4, C6 and C8, bears an H atom,
• wherein the compound Fe(AzulenH)2 and Cr(AzulenH)2, and isomers thereof, are excluded.