Tetrabenzylzirconium

Tetrabenzylzirconium is an organozirconium compound with the formula Zr(CH2C6H5)4.

The molecule features diamagnetic Zr(IV) bonded to four benzyl ligands.

It is an orange air- and photo-sensitive solid, which is soluble in hydrocarbon solvents.

[1] The compound is prepared by combining benzylmagnesium chloride and zirconium tetrachloride in diethyl ether.

[4] Tetrabenzylzirconium readily undergoes protonolysis, e.g. with hydrogen chloride:

Structure of tetrabenzylzirconium as determined by X-ray crystallography, with H atoms omitted for clarity. [ 1 ]