Canadian Journal of Pure & Applied Sciences

Abstract: GaN continues to be an important material for thin films and can be deposited by CVD or ALD using single source precursors that preferentially avoid Ga–C bonds. In this report, the complex bis(5-diisopropylamino-1,2,3,4- tetrazolato)tris(dimethylamido)digallium (1) was synthesized to potentially serve as a precursor to GaN. 1 is the first example of a Ga-tetrazolate complex, and was prepared by protonolysis of tris(dimethylamido)gallium using an equimolar amount of 5-diisopropylamino-1H-1,2,3,4-tetrazole. The complex was characterized spectroscopically and structurally. It exhibits a Ga2N2 4-membered ring, with a very close Ga–Ga distance of 2.8917(5) Å. The coordination to the tetrazolate ligand occurs at N2, which is unusual due to N1 being more basic. This unusual coordination is due to the steric hindrance provided by the very bulky substituent, the diisopropylamino group.