Lanthanides and actinides: annual survey of their organometallic chemistry covering the year 1996

Alpha-metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine rare-earth metal complexes and their catalytic applications

This perspective summarizes our group's extensive research in the realm of organometallic lanthanide complexes, while also placing the catalytic reactions supported by these species within the context of known lanthanide catalysis worldwide, with a specific focus on phosphorus-based catalytic reactions such as intermolecular hydrophosphination and hydrophosphinylation. α-Metalated N,N-dimethylbenzylamine ligands have been utilized to generate homoleptic lanthanide complexes, which have subsequently proven to be highly active lanthanum-based catalysts. The main goal of our research program has been to enhance the catalytic efficiency of lanthanum-based complexes, which began with initial successes in the stoichiometric synthesis of organometallic lanthanide complexes and utilization of these species in catalytic hydrophosphination reactions. Not only have these species supported traditional lanthanide catalysis, such as the hydrophosphination of heterocumulenes like carbodiimides, isocyanates, and isothiocyanates, but they have also been effective for a plethora of catalytic reactions tested thus far, including the hydrophosphinylation and hydrophosphorylation of nitriles, hydrophosphination and hydrophosphinylation of alkynes and alkenes, and the heterodehydrocoupling of silanes and amines. Each of these catalytic transformations is meritorious in its own right, offering new synthetic routes to generate organic scaffolds with enhanced functionality while concurrently minimizing both waste generation and energy consumption. Objectives: We aim for the research summary presented herein to inspire and encourage other researchers to investigate f-element based stoichiometric and catalytic reactions. Our efforts in this field began with the recognition that potassium salts of benzyldimethylamine preferred deprotonation at the α-position, rather than the ortho-position, and we wondered if this regiochemistry would be retained in the formation of lanthanide complexes. The pursuit of this simple idea led first to a series of structurally fascinating homoleptic organometallic lanthanide complexes with surprisingly good stability. Fundamental studies of the protonolysis chemistry of these complexes ultimately revealed highly versatile lanthanide-based precatalysts that have propelled a catalytic investigation spanning more than a decade. We anticipate that this summative perspective will animate the synthetic as well as biological communities to consider La(DMBA)3-based catalytic methods in the synthesis of functionalized organic scaffolds as an atom-economic, convenient, and efficient methodology. Ultimately, we envision our work making a positive impact on the advancement of novel chemical transformations and contributing to progress in various fields of science and technology.

Noncovalent Interactions at Lanthanide Complexes

Lanthanide complexes have attracted a widespread attention due to their structural diversity, as well as multifunctional and tunable properties. The development of lanthanide based functional materials has often relied on the design of the secondary coordination sphere of the corresponding lanthanide complexes. For instance, usually simple lanthanide salts (solvento complexes) do not catalyze effectively organic reactions or provide low yield of the expected product, whereas the presence of a suitable organic ligand with a noncovalent bond donor or acceptor centre (secondary coordination sphere) modifies the symmetry around the metal centre in lanthanide complexes which then successfully can act as catalysts in both homogenous and heterogenous catalysis. In this minireview, we discuss several relevant examples, based on X-ray crystal structure analyses, in which the hydrogen, halogen, chalcogen, pnictogen, tetrel and rare-earth bonds, as well as cation-π, anion-π, lone pair-π, π-π and pancake interactions, are used as a synthon in the decoration of the secondary coordination sphere of lanthanide complexes.

Supersize Cp! Tetrabenzo[a,c,g,i]fluorenyl complexes of yttrium

The synthesis of tetrabenzo[a,c,g,i]fluorenyl (Tbf) yttrium dialkyl complexes, (Tbf)Y(CH2SiMe3)2(L) (L = tetrahydrofuran (THF), 1; L = bipy, 2), by direct protonolysis of the tris(alkyl) complex, Y(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2, are reported. The X-ray crystal structures of 1 and 2 display the helical twisting typically observed for the Tbf ligand. Dynamic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies on 1 show a barrier to Tbf helical inversion (epimerization or “wagging”) of 38.1 ± 0.5 kJ mol−1. The reaction of 1 with acidic hydrocarbons such as 1,3-bis(trimethylsilyl)cyclopentadiene or trimethylsilylacetylene results in protonolysis to form the mixed Cp derivative [(Tbf){C5H3(SiMe3)2}Y(CH2SiMe3)(THF)] (3) or [(Tbf)Y(CCSiMe3)2(THF)]n (4), respectively. In the case of 4, a small amount of the trinuclear cluster (Tbf)Y3(μ3-CCSiMe3)2(μ2-CCSiMe3)3(CCSiMe3)3(THF)2 (5) was isolated and characterized by X-ray crystallography. Dialkyl 1 undergoes smooth insertion of trimethylsilyl isocyanate to afford [(Tbf)Y{κ2-(N,O)-Me3SiN(Me3SiCH2)CO}2(THF)] (6) but it does not react with alkenes. Treating 1 with [Ph3C]+[B(C6F5)4]− in bromobenzene generates a moderately active ethylene polymerization catalyst (36 kg mol−1 h−1 bar−1).

Radical anionic versus neutral 2,2'-bipyridyl coordination in uranium complexes supported by amide and ketimide ligands

The synthesis and characterization of (bipy)(2)U(N[t-Bu]Ar)(2) (1-(bipy)(2), bipy = 2,2'-bipyridyl, Ar = 3,5-C(6)H(3)Me(2)), (bipy)U(N[(1)Ad]Ar)(3) (2-bipy), (bipy)(2)U(NC[t-Bu]Mes)(3) (3-(bipy)(2), Mes = 2,4,6-C(6)H(2)Me(3)), and IU(bipy)(NC[t-Bu]Mes)(3) (3-I-bipy) are reported. X-ray crystallography studies indicate that bipy coordinates as a radical anion in 1-(bipy)(2) and 2-bipy, and as a neutral ligand in 3-I-bipy. In 3-(bipy)(2), one of the bipy ligands is best viewed as a radical anion, the other as a neutral ligand. The electronic structure assignments are supported by NMR spectroscopy studies of exchange experiments with 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridyl and also by optical spectroscopy. In all complexes, uranium was assigned a +4 formal oxidation state.

The Renaissance of Non-Aqueous Uranium Chemistry

Prior to the year 2000, non-aqueous uranium chemistry mainly involved metallocene and classical alkyl, amide, or alkoxide compounds as well as established carbene, imido, and oxo derivatives. Since then, there has been a resurgence of the area, and dramatic developments of supporting ligands and multiply bonded ligand types, small-molecule activation, and magnetism have been reported. This Review 1) introduces the reader to some of the specialist theories of the area, 2) covers all-important starting materials, 3) surveys contemporary ligand classes installed at uranium, including alkyl, aryl, arene, carbene, amide, imide, nitride, alkoxide, aryloxide, and oxo compounds, 4) describes advances in the area of single-molecule magnetism, and 5) summarizes the coordination and activation of small molecules, including carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, nitric oxide, dinitrogen, white phosphorus, and alkanes.

A structural investigation of heteroleptic lanthanide substituted cyclopentadienyl complexes

The synthesis and structural authentication of novel heteroleptic lanthanide complexes supported by bulky cyclopentadienyl ligands is herein presented. Steric effects play a fundamental role in the coordination motifs.

Bis(9,10-phenanthrenocyclopentadienyl)yttrium complexes: synthesis and solution behaviour

The synthesis of a number of yttrium metallocenes based on the phenanthrene-fused Cp ligand PCpR (R = H, Me, Ph) is reported. Acid−base (σ-bond metathesis) reactions between the parent HPCpR ligands and Y(CH2SiMe3)3(THF)2 afford the monomeric alkyl complexes Y(PCpR)2(CH2SiMe3)(THF) (R = H, 1; Me, 2; Ph, 3). Salt metathesis between Li+PCpMe− and YCl3 in THF similarly affords the monomeric chloride complex Y(PCpMe)2(Cl)(THF) (4), which reacts further with methyllithium to generate the bridging “ate” complex Y(PCpMe)2(μ-Me)2Li(THF)2 (5). Complex 3 undergoes rapid hydrogenolysis in the presence of phenylsilane to afford the crystalline bridging hydride dimer [Y(PCpPh)2]2(μ-H)2 (6). The X-ray structures of complexes 2 and 6 are reported along with the solution behaviour of 2.

Recent advances in organothorium and organouranium catalysis

In this critical review we summarize the latest results obtained during the last decade concerning the catalytic activities of organoactinide complexes. We begin with a brief summary of the synthesis and characterization of uranium and thorium complexes that later will be used as catalysts for demanding chemical transformations. Hydroamination, hydrosilylation of terminal alkynes, coupling of terminal alkynes with isonitriles, catalytic reduction of azides and hydrazines, ring opening polymerization of cyclic esters and polymerization of alpha-olefins are covered in this review (118 references). The topics covered in this review regarding organoactinide chemistry will be of interest to inorganic, organic and organometallic chemists, material and catalytic scientists due to its unique mode of activation as compared to late transition-metals. In addition, the field of organoactinide complexes in catalysis is steadily growing, because of the complementary reactivity of organoactinides as compared to other early or late transition complexes, in demanding chemical transformations.

C–H activation of a 2,2′-bipyridine ligand within (mono)pentamethylcyclopentadienyl lutetium complexes

We report the activation of a 2,2'-bipyridine ligand within a class of (mono)cyclopentadienyl lanthanide complexes when reacted with carbon monoxide.

Lanthanide contraction over the 4f series follows a quadratic decay

An analysis of the structural data available for isotypical series of rare earth compounds shows that the contraction of X-ray determined Ln-O bond distances over the f block is at least quadratic. Such quadratic decay is observed also for Ln(III) ionic radii, calculated bond distances, and lanthanide atomic orbital expectation values.