Stable heteroleptic complexes of divalent lanthanides with bulky pyrazolylborate ligands--iodides, hydrocarbyls and triethylborohydrides.

The reaction of YbI(2) with KTp(Me2) gives (Tp(Me2))YbI(THF)(2) (1-Yb) as a thermally unstable product. Use of the more hindered KTp(tBu,Me) gave (Tp(tBu,Me))LnI(THF)(n) (Ln = Sm, n = 2, 2-Sm; Ln = Yb, n = 1, 2-Yb). The crystal structures of both these compounds are reported.

Facile pyrazolylborate ligand degradation at lanthanide centers: X-ray crystal structures of pyrazolylborinate-bridged bimetallics.

Adventitious hydrolysis of a number of different complexes with the molecular formula Ln(Tp(Me2))(2)X [Tp(Me2) = (HB(dmpz)(3)), where X is a basic anionic ligand] in various solvents, yielded crystals of highly insoluble dimers of the general formula [Ln(Tp(Me2))(mu-BOp(Me2))](2) (1) [Ln = La, Ce, Sm; BOp(Me2) = (HBO(dmpz)(2))(2)(-); dmpzH = 3,5-dimethylpyrazole]. The results of several single-crystal X-ray determinations are reported. One metal nitrogen distance, that lying across from the two negatively charged bridging oxygen atoms, is 0.

Synthesis and Molecular Structures of Hydrotris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate Complexes of the Lanthanides.

The reaction of lanthanide triflates with 2 equiv of potassium hydrotris(dimethylpyrazolyl)borate (Tp(Me)()2) gives good yields of complexes of composition Ln(Tp(Me)()2)(2)OTf. For La (2), Ce (3), Pr (4), and Nd (5) the complexes are seven-coordinate in the solid state with the triflate group coordinated to the metal in unidentate fashion. Complex 5 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/c with a = 17.