Cameron Jones, Andreas Stasch, and colleagues, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, prepared well defined magnesium amidoborane complexes by two new routes: the reactions of ammonia–borane (NH₃BH₃) with a magnesium(I) dimer [{(^DipNacnac)Mg}₂], and the reaction of a magnesium(II) iodide complex [(^DipNacnac)MgI(OEt₂)] with Li(NH₂BH₃).

They also showed for the first time, that the reaction of ammonia–borane with two magnesium(II) hydride complexes [{(Nacnac)Mg(μ-H)}₂] or an alkylmagnesium(II) compound [{(^DipNacnac)Mg(μ-nBu)}₂] yield well characterized parent amidoborane complexes of magnesium. The crystal structures of all prepared complexes have been obtained and shown to be similar to those previously reported for related compounds.

• New Routes to Soluble Magnesium Amidoborane Complexes,
  Cameron Jones, Simon J. Bonyhady, Sharanappa Nembenna, Andreas Stasch,
  Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2012.
  DOI: 10.1002/ejic.201200031