Chiral lutetium benzamidinate complexes.

Enantiomerically pure lutetium complexes were synthesized as the first rare earth metal complexes containing a chiral amidinate ligand. The catalytic activity and the enantioselectivity in hydroamination reactions were studied.

Borane and borohydride complexes of the rare-earth elements: synthesis, structures, and butadiene polymerization catalysis.

The reaction of potassium 2,5-bis[N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)iminomethyl]pyrrolyl [(dip(2)-pyr)K] with the borohydrides of the larger rare-earth metals, [Ln(BH(4))(3)(thf)(3)] (Ln=La, Nd), afforded the expected products [Ln(BH(4))(2)(dip(2)-pyr)(thf)(2)]. As usual, the trisborohydrides reacted like pseudohalide compounds forming KBH(4) as a by-product. To compare the reactivity with the analogous halides, the dimeric neodymium complex [NdCl(2)(dip(2)-pyr)(thf)](2) was prepared by reaction of [(dip(2)-pyr)K] with anhydrous NdCl(3).

Bis(phosphinimino)methanide borohydride complexes of the rare-earth elements as initiators for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone: combined experimental and computational investigations.

Rare-earth-metal borohydrides are known to be efficient catalysts for the polymerization of apolar and polar monomers. The bis-borohydrides [{CH(PPh2 NSiMe3)2}La(BH4)2(THF)] and [{CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2}Ln(BH4)2] (Ln = Y, Lu) have been synthesized by two different synthetic routes. The lanthanum and the lutetium complexes were prepared from [Ln(BH4)3(THF)3] and K{CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2}, whereas the yttrium analogue was obtained from in situ prepared [{CH(PPh2NSiMe3)2}YCl2]2 and NaBH4.

Rare-earth metal alkyl, amido, and cyclopentadienyl complexes supported by imidazolin-2-iminato ligands: synthesis, structural characterization, and catalytic application.

The rare earth metal dichlorides [(1)MCl(2)(THF)(3)] (2a, M = Sc; 2b, M = Y; 2c, M = Lu) and the gadolinium complex [(1)GdCl(2)(THF)(2)] x [LiCl(THF)(2)] (2d), containing the 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-iminato ligand 1, proved to be versatile starting materials for the preparation of trimethylsilylmethyl ("neosilyl") and bis(trimethylsilyl)amido complexes [(1)M(CH(2)SiMe(3))(2)(THF)(2)] (3a-3d) and [(1)M(HMDS)(2)(THF)] [4a-4d, HMDS = hexamethyldisilazide, N(SiMe(3))(2)] and for the preparation of the benzyl complex [(1)Lu(CH(2)Ph)(2)(THF)(2)] (5c) by the reaction with LiCH(2)SiMe(3), Na[N(SiMe(3))(2)], and KCH(2)Ph, respectively. Treatment of 2a-2c with KCp* afforded the mono(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) complexes [(1)Sc(Cp*)Cl(THF)] (6a), [(1)Y(Cp*)Cl(THF)(2)] (6b), and [(1)Lu(Cp*)Cl(THF)] (6c). In contrast, the gadolinocene complex [(1)Gd(Cp*)(2)(THF)] (7) was isolated from the reaction of 2d with 2 equiv of KCp*.

Unusual reactivity of lanthanide borohydride complexes leading to a borane complex.

Depending on the ionic radius of the central metal atom the BH(4)(-) group, which usually reacts in lanthanide chemistry like a pseudo halide, can be involved in redox chemistry and the resulting product contains an N-BH(3) unit, which binds in an unusual eta(2)-fashion onto the metal atom.