Mono-, Di-, Tri- and Tetranuclear Rare Earth Complexes Obtained Using a Moderately Bulky Aryloxide Ligand

Rare Earth Starting Materials and Methodologies for Synthetic Chemistry

The number of rare earth (RE) starting materials used in synthesis is staggering, ranging from simple binary metal-halide salts to borohydrides and "designer reagents" such as alkyl and organoaluminate complexes. This review collates the most important starting materials used in RE synthetic chemistry, including essential information on their preparations and uses in modern synthetic methodologies. The review is divided by starting material category and supporting ligands (i.e., metals as synthetic precursors, halides, borohydrides, nitrogen donors, oxygen donors, triflates, and organometallic reagents), and in each section relevant synthetic methodologies and applications are discussed.

Europium is Different: Solvent and Ligand Effects on Oxidation State Outcomes and C-F Activation in Reactions Between Europium Metal and Pentafluorophenylsilver

Unique outcomes have emerged from the redox transmetallation/ protolysis (RTP) reactions of europium metal with [Ag(C₆ F₅ )(py)] (py=pyridine) and pyrazoles (RR'pzH). In pyridine, a solvent not normally used for RTP reactions, the products were mainly Eu^II complexes, [Eu(RR'pz)₂ (py)₄ ] (RR'pz=3,5-diphenylpyrazolate (Ph₂ pz) 1; 3-(2-thienyl)-5-trifluoromethylpyrazolate (ttfpz) 2; 3-methyl-5-phenylpyrazolate (PhMepz) 3). However, use of 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazole (tBu₂ pzH) gave trivalent [Eu(tBu₂ pz)₃ (py)₂ ] 4, whereas the bulkier N,N'-bis(2,6-difluorophenyl)formamidine (DFFormH) gave divalent [Eu(DFForm)₂ (py)₃ ] 5. In tetrahydrofuran (thf), the usual solvent for RTP reactions, C-F activation was observed for the first time with [Ag(C₆ F₅ )(py)] in such reactions. Thus trivalent [{Eu₂ (Ph₂ pz)₄ (py)₄ (thf)₂ (μ-F)₂ }{Eu₂ (Ph₂ pz)₄ (py)₂ (thf)₄ (μ-F)₂ }] (6), [Eu₂ (ttfpz)₄ (py)₂ (dme)₂ (μ-F)₂ ] (7), [Eu₂ (tBu₂ pz)₄ (dme)₂ (μ-F)₂ ] (8) were obtained from the appropriate pyrazoles, the last two after crystallization from 1,2-dimethoxyethane (dme). Surprisingly 3,5-dimethylpyrazole (Me₂ pzH) gave the divalent cage [Eu₆ (Me₂ pz)₁₀ (thf)₆ (μ-F)₂ ] (9). This has a compact ovoid core held together by bridging fluoride, thf, and pyrazolate ligands, the last including the rare μ₄ -1η⁵ (N₂ C₃ ): 2η² (N,N'): 3κ(N): 4κ(N') pyrazolate binding mode. With the bulky N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidine (DippFormH), which often favours C-F activation in RTP reactions, neither oxidation to Eu^III nor C-F activation was observed and [Eu(DippForm)₂ (thf)₂ ] (10) was isolated. By contrast, Eu reacted with Bi(C₆ F₅ )₃ and Ph₂ pzH or tBu₂ pzH in thf without C-F activation, to give [Eu(Ph₂ pz)₂ (thf)₄ ] (11) and [Eu(tBu₂ pz)₃ (thf)₂ ] (12) respectively, the oxidation state outcomes corresponding to that for use of [Ag(C₆ F₅ )(py)] in pyridine.

Crystal structure of a binuclear mixed-valence ytterbium complex containing a 2-anthracene-substituted phenoxide ligand

Reaction of 2-(anthracen-9-yl)phenol (HOPhAn, 1) with divalent Yb[N(SiMe3)2]2·2THF in THF-toluene mixtures affords the mixed-valence YbII-YbIII dimer {[2-(anthracen-9-yl)phenolato-κO]bis-(tetra-hydro-furan)-ytterbium(III)}-tris-[μ-2-(anthracen-9-yl)phenolato]-κ4 O:O;κO:1,2-η,κO-{[2-(anthracen-9-yl)phenolato-κO]ytterbium(II)} toluene tris-olvate, [Yb2(C20H13O)5(C4H8O)2]·3C7H7 or [YbIII(THF)2(OPhAn)](μ-OPhAn)3[YbII(OPhAn)]·3C7H7 (2), as the major product. It crystallized as a toluene tris-olvate. The Yb-O bond lengths in the crystal structure of this dimer clearly identify the YbII and YbIII centres. Inter-estingly, the formally four-coordinate YbII centre shows a close contact with one anthracene C-C bond of a bridging OPhAn ligand, bringing the formal coordination number to five.

A Modern Twist to a Classic Synthetic Route: Ph3Bi-Based Redox Transmetalation Protolysis (RTP) for the Preparation of Barium Metalorganic Species

This paper reports advances in redox transmetalation/protolysis (RTP) utilizing the readily available Ph₃Bi for the synthesis of a series of barium metal-organic species. On the basis of easily available starting materials, an easy one-pot procedure, and workup, we have obtained BaL₂ compounds (L = bis(trimethylsilyl)amide, phenyl(trimethylsilyl)amide, pentamethylcyclopentadienide, fluorenide, 2,6-di-isopropylphenolate, and 3,5-diphenylpyrazolate) quantitatively by sonication of an excess of barium metal with triphenylbismuth and HL in perdeuterotetrahydrofuran, as established by NMR measurements. Rates of conversion are affected by both pK_a and bulk of HL. Competition occurs from direct reaction of Ba with HL, thereby enhancing the overall conversion, the effect being pronounced for the less bulky and more acidic ligands. Overall, the method significantly adds to the synthetic armory for barium metal-organic/organometallic compounds.

Comparisons of lanthanide/actinide +2 ions in a tris(aryloxide)arene coordination environment

Nd, like U, prefers a f⁴ configuration with the tris(aryloxide)arene ligand rather than the 4f³5d¹ configuration found in tris(cyclopentadienyl) complexes.

A new series of Ln³⁺ and Ln²⁺ complexes has been synthesized using the tris(aryloxide)arene ligand system, ((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)^3–, recently used to isolate a complex of U²⁺. The triphenol precursor, (^Ad,MeArOH)₃mes, reacts with the Ln³⁺ amides, Ln(NR₂)₃ (R = SiMe₃), to form a series of [((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)Ln] complexes, 1-Ln. Crystallographic characterization was achieved for Ln = Nd, Gd, Dy, and Er. The complexes 1-Ln can be reduced with potassium graphite in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) to form highly absorbing solutions with properties consistent with Ln²⁺ complexes, [K(crypt)][((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)Ln], 2-Ln. The synthesis of the Nd²⁺ complex [K(crypt)][((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)Nd], 2-Nd, was unambiguously confirmed by X-ray crystallography. In the case of the other lanthanides, crystals were found to contain mixtures of 2-Ln co-crystallized with either a Ln³⁺ hydride complex, [K(crypt)][((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)LnH], 3-Ln, for Ln = Gd, Dy, and Er, or a hydroxide complex, [K(crypt)][((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)Ln(OH)], 4-Ln, for Ln = Dy. A Dy²⁺ complex with 18-crown-6 as the potassium chelator, [K(18-crown-6)(THF)₂][((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)Dy], 5-Dy, was isolated as a co-crystallized mixture with the Dy³⁺ hydride complex, [K(18-crown-6)(THF)₂][((^Ad,MeArO)₃mes)DyH], 6-Dy. Structural comparisons of 1-Ln and 2-Ln are presented with respect to their uranium analogs and correlated with density functional theory calculations on their electronic structures.

Ion-Size-Dependent Formation of Mixed Titanium/Lanthanide Oxo Clusters

The mixed-metal oxo clusters LnTi4O3(OiPr)2(OMc)11 (Ln = La, Ce; OMc = methacrylate), Ln2Ti6O6(OMc)18(HOiPr) (Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Sm) and Ln2Ti4O4(OMc)14(HOMc)2 (Ln = Sm, Eu, Gd, Ho) have been synthesized from titanium isopropoxide, the corresponding lanthanide acetate and methacrylic acid. The type of cluster obtained strongly depends on the size of the lanthanide ion.

Direct reaction of iodine-activated lanthanoid metals with 2,6-diisopropylphenol

Rare earth metals activated with ca. 2% iodine react directly with 2,6-diisopropylphenol (HOdip) in tetrahydrofuran (thf), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (dme), and dig-dme (dig = di(2-methoxyethyl) ether) to give solvated phenolate complexes [Ln(Odip)(3)(thf)(n)] (Ln = La, Nd, n = 3; Ln = Sm, Dy, Y, Yb, n = 2), [Eu(Odip)(μ-Odip)(thf)(2)](2), [Ln(Odip)(3)(dme)(2)] (Ln = La, Yb) and [La(Odip)(3)(dig)] in good yield for Ln = La, Nd, Eu but modest yield for smaller Ln metals under comparable conditions. However, increasing the excess of metal greatly increased the yield for Ln = Y. The synthetic method has general potential, at least for lanthanoid phenolates. Comparison redox transmetallation/protolysis (RTP) reactions between Ln metals, Hg(C(6)F(5))(2) and the phenol gave higher yields in shorter time and, for Eu, gave [Eu(Odip)(3)(thf)(3)] in contrast to an Eu(II) complex from Eu(I(2)). New [Ln(Odip)(3)(thf)(3)] complexes have fac-octahedral structures and [Ln(Odip)(3)(thf)(2)] monomeric five coordinate distorted trigonal bipyramidal structures with apical thf ligands. [Eu(Odip)(μ-Odip)(thf)(2)](2) is an unsymmetrical dimer with two bridging Odip ligands. One five coordinate Eu atom has distorted trigonal bipyramidal stereochemistry and the other is distorted square pyramidal. Whilst [La(Odip)(3)(dme)(2)] has irregular seven coordination with mer-Odip and chelating dme ligands, [Ln(Odip)(3)(dme)(2)] (Ln = Dy, Y (prepared by ligand exchange), Yb) are monomeric six coordinate with one chelating and one unidentate dme. A six coordinate fac-octahedral arrangement is observed in [La(Odip)(3)(dig)].