Synthesis and controlled hydrolysis of organolanthanide complexes with mono- and dianionic benzimidazole-2-thiolate ligands.

Treatment of Cp(3)Er with one equivalent of benzimidazole-2-thiol (H(2)Bzimt) in THF affords the monoanionic HBzimt(-) complex Cp(2)Er(η(2)-HBzimt)(THF)(2) (1). Reaction of Cp(3)Yb with two equivalents of H(2)Bzimt gives complex CpYb(η(2)-HBzimt)(2)(THF) (2) at room temperature. Treatment of Cp(3)Ln with three equivalents of H(2)Bzimt in reflux THF affords the homoleptic Ln(η(2)-HBzimt)(3)(THF)(2) (Ln = Er (3), Y (4)). Cp(3)Ln reacts with 0.5 equivalents of H(2)Bzimt to afford the dianionic Bzimt(2-) complexes [(Cp(2)Ln)(THF)](2)(μ-Bzimt) (Ln = Yb (5), Er (6), Dy (7), Y (8)) in good yields, in which the Bzimt(2-) ligand bridges the two metals in an μ-η(2):η(2) coordination mode. Interestingly, controlled hydrolysis of complexes Cp(2)Ln(η(2)-HBzimt)(THF)(2), CpLn(η(2)-HBzimt)(2)(THF) and [(Cp(2)Ln)(THF)](2)(μ-Bzimt) produces the same tetranuclear complexes [CpLn(μ(3)-OH)(μ-η(1):η(2)-HBzimt)](4) (Ln = Yb (9), Er (10), Y (11)), indicating that the hydrolysis selectivity greatly depends on the number of coordinated cyclopentadienyl groups. All complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic properties and X-ray single crystal diffraction analysis.