Magnesium anthracene is an organomagnesium compound that is almost invariably isolated as its adduct with three tetrahydrofuran (thf) ligands. With the formula Mg(C₁₄H₁₀)(thf)₃, this air- and water-sensitive orange solid is obtained by heating a suspension of magnesium in a thf solution of anthracene.

Structure and reactivity

According to X-ray crystallography, the Mg center is 5-coordinate, occupying a C₂O₃ ligand sphere. The fold angle between the two benzo groups is 72.6°.{{cite journal, authors=L. M. Engelhardt, S. Harvey, C. L. Raston, A. H. White, title=Organomagnesium Reagents: The Crystal Structures of g(anthracene)(THF)₃and g(triphenylmethyl)Br(OEt₂)₂journal= Journal of Organometallic Chemistry, year=1988, volume=341, issue=1–3, page=39, doi=10.1016/0022-328X(88)89061-2 The compound behaves as a source of the carbanion ₁₄H₁₀sup>2- as well as a source of highly reactive Mg. With electrophiles, the compound reacts to give dihydroanthracene derivatives C₁₄H₁₀E₂. Electrophiles include ketones, CO₂, organotin chlorides, and organoaluminium chlorides. Ethylene inserts into one Mg-C bond. Hydrogen induces release of anthracene, yielding

magnesium hydride Magnesium hydride is the chemical compound with the molecular formula MgH2. It contains 7.66% by weight of hydrogen and has been studied as a potential hydrogen storage medium. Preparation In 1951 preparation from the elements was first reporte ...

(MgH₂).

References

Anthracenes Organomagnesium compounds