Synthesis and structure of nitrile-solvated rare earth metallocene cations [Cp2Ln(NCR)3][BPh4] (Cp = C5Me5, C5H4SiMe3; R = Me, Bu, Ph)

Hydrazine Energy Storage: Displacing N2 H4 from the Metal Coordination Sphere

Hydrogen carriers, such as hydrazine (N2 H4 ), may facilitate long duration energy storage, a vital component for resilient grids by enabling more renewable energy generation. Lanthanide coordination chemistry with N2 H4 as well as efforts to displace N2 H4 from the metal coordination sphere to develop an efficient catalytic production cycle were detailed. Modeling the equilibrium of different ligand coordination, it was predicted that strong sigma donor molecules would be required to displace N2 H4 . Monitoring competition experiments with nuclear magnetic resonance confirmed that trimethyl phosphine oxide, dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulfoxide displaced N2 H4 in large or small lanthanide complexes.

Solvent-responsive cavitand lanthanum complex

A new, solvent responsive tetra-phosphonate cavitand lanthanum complex forms a dimer in acetonitrile, interconverts into a monomeric complex in acetone and is disassembled in methanol.