Single electron transfer (SET) activity of the dialkyl-amido sodium zincate [(TMEDA)·Na(µ-TMP)(µ-tBu)Zn(tBu)] towards TEMPO and chalcone.

More usually thought of as a base, the sodium zincate [(TMEDA)·Na(µ-TMP)(µ-(t)Bu)Zn((t)Bu)] 1 can undergo single electron transfer with TEMPO to give [(TMEDA)·Na(µ-TMP)(µ-TEMPO(-))Zn((t)Bu)] 2 and [(TMEDA)·Na(µ-TEMPO(-))(2)Zn((t)Bu)] 3; and with chalcone [PhCOCH=CHPh] gives [{(TMEDA)·Na(µ-TMP)Zn((t)Bu)}(2)(µ-OCPhCH=CHPhCHPhCH=CPh-µ-O)] which contains two chalcone units C-C coupled though their benzylic C atoms.