A one-pot reaction involving neosilyllithium and three different carbodiimides (RN=C=NR, R =cyclohexyl, isopropyl and tert-butyl) in diethyl ether, followed by the addition of anhydrous $ZnCl_{2}$, afforded,in high yield, corresponding homoleptic zinc amidinate complexes having the molecular formulae$[Zn{CyN=C(CH_{2}SiMe_{3})NCy}_{2}]$ (1),$[Zn^{{i}PrN=C(CH_{2}SiMe_{3})N^{i}Pr}_{2}]$ (2) and [Zn$^{{t}BuN=C(CH_{2}SiMe_{3})N^{t}Bu}_{2}]$ (3), respectively, and amidinato moieties in the zinc coordination sphere. Solid state structures of complexes1-3 are reported thereafter - all the three complexes are isostructural, and each of them consists of twofour-membered metallacycles.

We report the highly chemo-selective catalytic addition of N–H bonds from various aromaticamines to carbodiimides and isocyanates using (Ar-BIAO)ZnCl2 complexes [Ar-BIAO = N-(aryl)iminoacenapthenone,Ar = 2,6-$Me_{2}C_{6}H_{3}$ (1), 2,4,6 $Me_{3}C_{6}H_{2}$ (2), $2,6-^{i}$ $Pr_{2}C_{6}_H{3} (3)] as the pre-catalyst to prepareguanidine and urea derivatives in 55-90% yield. The complex 3 showed higher catalytic activity than analogouscomplexes 1 and 2 under similar reaction conditions. The catalytic guanylation of N–H bonds with heterocumulenesdisplays a broad substrate scope. The amines having electron donating groups underwent higher conversionthan the amines having electron withdrawing groups to afford corresponding guanidine or urea derivatives.A possible mechanism involving penta-coordinated zinc transition state for the catalytic reaction is presented.