Formation of Specific Configurations at Stereogenic Nitrogen Centers upon Their Coordination to Zinc and Mercury

The coordination of (R,R)-tetramethylcyclohexane-1,2-diamine
derivatives with stereogenic nitrogen centers to zinc and mercury
halides is investigated. It is shown that the resulting complexes
display one specific configuration at the stereogenic nitrogen centers.
This fact is unusual due to the fast inversion of nitrogen centers
but highly desirable as the stereoinformation of the ligands is brought
closer to the metal centers of the potential catalysts. A combination
of NMR studies and quantum chemical calculations gives insight into
the selective formation of one specific configuration at the stereogenic
nitrogen centers of the zinc complexes.