Scorpionate ligands, such as hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyle)borate, (Tp*), are very common in the inorganic chemistry literature, but are not usually made or used in undergraduate level inorganic chemistry teaching labs. This is probably because the synthesis of KTp* from KBH4 and 3,5-dimethylpyrazole is prohibitively time consuming. We have developed a simple procedure for synthesizing a KTp* using a microwave technique. The simplicity of the technique allows for the synthesis KTp*, along with the preparation of the two ligand product, (Tp*)2Ni, in about one hour forty minutes. In a typical three-hour teaching lab block, this allows the complex to be characterized by 11B NMR spectroscopy or other techniques, such as UV-Vis spectroscopy. This technique can be incorporated into current curricula to further the knowledge of scorpionate ligands.

Microwave-assisted synthesis of KTp* and the corresponding Ni complex as an undergraduate inorganic chemistry experiment

251st National Meeting (2016)

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