Reduction of Na ⁺ within a {Mg ₂ Na ₂ } Assembly

Ionic compounds containing sodium cations are notable for their stability and resistance to redox reactivity unless highly reducing electrical potentials applied. Here we report that treatment of a low oxidation state {Mg2Na2} species with non-reducible organic bases induces the spontaneous completely selective extrusion metal MgI centers more conventional MgII state. Although these processes also characterized by structural reorganisation initially chelated diamide spectator ligand, computational quantum chemical studies indicate intramolecular electron transfer is abetted frontier molecular orbitals (HOMO/LUMO) ensemble, which arise exclusively from 3s valence atomic constituent magnesium atoms.