Lanthanide alkylidene and imido complexes.

In stark contrast to the transition metals, examples of imido or alkylidene complexes of the lanthanides remain scarce. A recent literature survey reveals that only nine examples of lanthanide imido complexes have been reported, and the majority of these have arisen serendipitously. Concrete examples of species containing lanthanide-carbon multiple bonds are even more sparse.

A comparative study of pi-arene-bridged lanthanum arylamide and aryloxide dimers. Solution behavior, exchange mechanisms, and X-ray crystal structures of La2(NH-2,6-iPr2C6H3)6, La(NH-2,6-iPr2C6H3)3(THF)3, and La(NH-2,6-iPr2C6H3)3(py)2.

Reaction of 3 equiv of 2,6-diisopropylaniline with La[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) produces the dimeric species La(2)(NHAr)(6) (1). X-ray crystallography reveals a centrosymmetric structure, where the dimeric unit is bridged by intermolecular eta(6)-arene interactions of a unique arylamide ligand attached to an adjacent metal center. Exposure of 1 to THF results in formation of the monomeric tris-THF adduct La(NHAr)(3)(THF)(3) (2), which was shown by X-ray crystallography to maintain a fac-octahedral structure in the solid state.

Auto-ionization in lutetium iodide complexes: effect of the Iioic radius on lanthanide-iodide binding.

Reaction of lutetium metal with 1.5 equiv of elemental iodine in 2-propanol leads to the isolation of LuI(3)(HO(i)Pr)(4) (1). An X-ray crystal structure reveals an ionic structure with well-separated [LuI(2)(HO(i)Pr)(4)] cations and [I] anions.

Anionic triazacyclononanes: new supporting ligands in main group and transition metal organometallic chemistry.

In the course of developing new ligands to support chemistry with main-group, transition and lanthanide elements, a number of research groups have focused attention on functionalized triazacyclononanes; this article provides a summary of the more recent findings with an emphasis on the organometallic chemistry of one particular class of tacn ligands, namely those involving the anionic tacn moiety.

Salt-free synthesis of samarium-aluminum mixed-metal alkoxides: X-ray crystal structures of [[(i-Pr-O)(i-Bu)Al(mu-O-i-Pr)(2)Sm(O-i-Pr)(HO-i-Pr)](mu-O-i-Pr)](2), [(THF)(2)Sm(O-t-Bu)(2)(mu-O-t-Bu)(2)Al(i-Bu)(2)], Sm(OAr)(3)(THF)(3) (Ar = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)), [Nd(mu-OAr)(OAr)(2)(py)(2)](2) (Ar = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)), and (ArO)(3)Sm[(mu-O-t-Bu)(2)Al(2)(O-t-Bu)(4)] (Ar = 2,6-i-Pr(2)C(6)H(3)).

Reaction of equimolar quantities of Sm[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3) and Al(i-Bu)(3) with 6 equiv of iso-propyl alcohol in toluene leads to the formation of the mixed-metal alkoxide complex [[(i-Pr-O)(i-Bu)Al(mu-O-i-Pr)(2)Sm(O-i-Pr)(HO-i-Pr)](mu-O-i-Pr)](2) (1). An analogous reaction between 1:1 Sm[N(SiMe(3))(2)](3)/Al(i-Bu)(3) and 6 equiv of tert-butyl alcohol, followed by addition of THF, produces the THF adduct [(THF)(2)Sm(O-t-Bu)(2)(mu-O-t-Bu)(2)Al(i-Bu)(2)] (2). Compound 1 crystallizes in the space group P1 while 2 crystallizes in space group Cmcm.

Pyramidal Inversion at Phosphorus Facilitated by the Presence of Proximate Lewis Acids. Coordination Chemistry of Group 13 Elements with the Macrocyclic Bis(amidophosphine) Ligand [P(2)N(2)] ([P(2)N(2)] = [PhP(CH(2)SiMe(2)NSiMe(2)CH(2))(2)PPh]).

Investigations on the preparation of four- and five-coordinate aluminum and gallium bis(amidophosphine) derivatives are reported. The reaction of the macrocyclic ligand precursor anti-Li(2)(THF)(2)[P(2)N(2)] ([P(2)N(2)] = [PhP(CH(2)SiMe(2)NSiMe(2)CH(2))(2)PPh]) with AlCl(3) or GaCl(3) in toluene at 25 degrees C leads to the formation of the four-coordinate species anti-MCl[P(2)N(2)] (M = Al (1), Ga (2)). An X-ray diffraction study of anti-GaCl[P(2)N(2)] shows it to be monomeric with a distorted tetrahedral geometry at Ga; only one of the phosphine donors of the [P(2)N(2)] ligand binds to the gallium, resulting in the retention of the anti-configuration.