Syntheses and crystal structures of four-coordinate aryloxo neodymium complexes

Mononuclear Dysprosium Alkoxide and Aryloxide Single-Molecule Magnets

Recent studies have shown that mononuclear lanthanide (Ln) complexes can be high‐performing single‐molecule magnets (SMMs). Recently, there has been an influx of mononuclear Ln alkoxide and aryloxide SMMs, which have provided the necessary geometrical control to improve SMM properties and to allow the intricate relaxation dynamics of Ln SMMs to be studied in detail. Here non‐aqueous Ln alkoxide and aryloxide chemistry applied to the synthesis of low‐coordinate mononuclear Ln SMMs are reviewed. The focus is on mononuclear Dy^III alkoxide and aryloxide SMMs with coordination numbers up to eight, covering synthesis, solid‐state structures and magnetic attributes. Brief overviews are also provided of mononuclear Tb^III, Ho^III, Er^III and Yb^III alkoxide and aryloxide SMMs.

Organometallic complexes of neodymium: an overview of synthetic methodologies based on coordinating elements

Organometallic complexes of neodymium have unique coordinating ability to form both micro and macromolecules as well as metal-based polymers. These complexes have been reported in different fields and play a tremendous role in luminescence, catalytic, biological and magnetic applications. So, the current study will comprise all possible routes for the synthesis of organometallic complexes of neodymium. Neodymium complexes have been synthesized of single, double, triple and tetra linkages with H, C, N, O as well as S, B, and X. The detailed synthetic routes have been classified into four categories but in brief, neodymium forms complexes by reacting metal chloride, nitrate or oxide (hydrated or dehydrated) as precursor along with appropriate ligand. Most applied solvents for neodymium complexes were Toluene and THF. These complexes required a range of temperature based on the nature of complexes as well as linkages. The authors have surveyed the research work published through 2011–2020 and provide a comprehensive overview to understand the synthetic routes of organometallic complexes of neodymium.

Synthesis and characterization of rare-earth metal complexes supported by a new pentadentate Schiff base and their application in heteroselective polymerization of rac-lactide

Both rare-earth metal salen aryloxides and amides can efficiently initiate the ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide to give heterotactic-rich polylactides.

Synthesis, Reactivity, and Structural Characterization of Sodium and Ytterbium Complexes Containing New Imidazolidine-Bridged Bis(phenolato) Ligands

A new imidazolidine-bridged bis(phenol) [ONNO]H2 ([ONNO]H2=1,4-bis(2-hydroxy-3,5-di-tert-butyl-benzyl)imidazolidine) was prepared in relatively high yield by Mannish reaction of 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, formaldehyde, and ethylenediamine in a 2:3:1 molar ratio. Reaction of the bis(phenol) with NaH in THF, after workup, afforded the sodium bis(phenolate) {[ONNO]Na2(THF)2}2.2THF (1) as a dimeric tetranuclear complex in an almost quantitative yield. Reaction of YbCl3 with complex 1 in a 2:1 molar ratio in THF, in the presence of HMPA, produced the desired bis(phenolate) ytterbium dichloride as bimetallic complex [ONNO]{YbCl2(HMPA)}2.2.5C7H8 (2). Complex 2 can be used as a precursor for the synthesis of ytterbium derivatives by salt metathesis reactions. Reaction of complex 2 with NaOiPr in a 1:2 molar ratio in THF led to the formation of bimetallic alkoxide [ONNO]{Yb(mu-OiPr)Cl(HMPA)}2.THF (3). However, the residual chlorine atoms in complex 3 are inactive for the further substituted reaction. Further study revealed that the bulkiness of the reagent has profound effect on the outcome of the reaction. Complex 2 reacted with bulky NaOAr (ArO=2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxo) or NaNPh2 in a 1:2 molar ratio under the same reaction conditions, after workup, to give the ligand redistributed products, (ArO)2YbCl(HMPA)2 (4) and [ONNO]YbCl(HMPA)2 (5) for the former and complexes 5 and (Ph2N)2YbCl(HMPA)2 (6) for the latter. If the molar ratio of complex 2 to NaNPh2 decreased to 1:4, the expected ligand redistributed products [ONNO]YbNPh2(HMPA) (7) and (Ph2N)3Yb(HMPA)2.C7H8 (8) can be isolated in high yields. All of the complexes were well characterized, and the definitive molecular structures of complexes 1-4, 7, and 8 were provided by single-crystal X-ray analysis.

Manipulation of reaction pathways in redox transmetallation-ligand exchange syntheses of lanthanoid(II)/(III) aryloxide complexes

Redox transmetallation/ligand exchange reactions of lanthanoid metals (Ln), Hg(C6F5)2 and HOAr(OMe) (Ar(OMe) = C6H2-2,6-Bu(t)-4-OMe), in thf (tetrahydrofuran) gave, for Ln = Yb, [Yb(OAr(OMe))2(thf)3], and for Ln = Sm, a mixture of [Sm(II)(OAr(OMe))2(thf)3] and mainly [Sm(III)(Ar(OMe))3(thf)] x thf. X-Ray structure determinations show the divalent complexes to have distorted square-pyramidal stereochemistry with transoid thf and OAr(OMe) ligands in the basal plane. Treatment of [Yb(OAr(OMe))2(thf)3] with diethyl ether or PhMe at room temperature gave [Yb(OAr(OMe))2] or [Yb(OAr(OMe))2] x 0.5 PhMe. For lanthanoids Ln = Nd, Er or Y, the reactions with Hg(C6F5)2 and HOAr(OMe) yielded complex product mixtures, from one of which the novel erbium aryloxide fluoride cage [Er3(OAr(OMe))4(mu2-F)3(mu3-F)2(thf)4] x thf x 0.5 C6H14 was isolated. The cage core consists of a triangle of Er atoms joined to two mu3-fluoride ligands and three further mu2-fluorides bridge adjacent Er atoms. One of the Er atoms is six-coordinate with additionally two OAr(OMe) ligands whilst the other two have one OAr(OMe) and two thf ligands and are seven coordinate. Substitution of Hg(C6F5)2 by Hg(CCPh)2 in the redox transmetallation/ligand exchange reactions gave the new derivatives [Ln(OAr(OMe))3(thf)] x thf (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Ho) in good yields whilst Ln = Yb gave [Yb(OAr(OMe))2(thf)3]. Recrystallisation of [Sm(OAr(OMe))3(thf)] x thf from dme (1,2-dimethoxyethane) yielded [Sm(OAr(OMe))3(dme)]. Structural characterisation of [Ln(OAr(OMe))3(thf)] x thf (Ln = Nd, Ho) and [Sm(OAr(OMe))3(dme)] showed monomeric four-coordinate distorted tetrahedral and five-coordinate distorted square-pyramidal complexes respectively. For the smaller lanthanoids Ln = Y, Er or Lu, reactions with Hg(CCPh)2 and HOAr(OMe) gave the mixed aryloxide/alkynide complexes [Ln(OAr(OMe))2(CCPh)(thf)2]. Oxidation of the divalent ytterbium aryloxide [Yb(OAr(OMe))2(thf)3] by Hg(CCPh)2 in thf gave the analogous [Yb(OAr(OMe))2(CCPh)(thf)2]. The erbium alkynide [Er(OAr(OMe))2(CCPh)(thf)2] x 0.25 C6H14 has distorted square-pyramidal stereochemistry with transoid OAr(OMe) and thf ligands in the basal plane and a rare (for Ln) terminal alkynide ligand in the apical position. The reactive Lu-C bond in the [Lu(OAr(OMe))2(CCPh)(thf)2] complexes could be slowly cleaved by free HOAr(OMe) in hydrocarbon solvents, yielding Lu(OAr(OMe))3 species and fortuitous partial hydrolysis of [Er(Ar(OMe))2(CCPh)(thf)2] gave the dimeric [Er(OAr(OMe))2(mu-OH)2]2.

Carbon-Bridged Bis(phenolato)lanthanide Alkoxides: Syntheses, Structures, and Their Application in the Controlled Polymerization of ε-Caprolactone

A convenient method for the synthesis of lanthanide alkoxo complexes supported by a carbon-bridged bis(phenolate) ligand 2,2'-methylenebis(6-tert-butyl-4-methylphenoxo) (MBMP2-) is described. The reaction of (C5H5)3Nd with MBMPH2 in a 1:1 molar ratio in THF gave the bis(phenolato)lanthanide complex (C5H5)Nd(MBMP)(THF)2 (1) in a nearly quantitative yield. Complex 1 further reacted with 1 equiv of 2-propanol in THF to yield the bis(phenolato)lanthanide isopropoxide [(MBMP)2Nd(mu-OPr(i))(THF)2]2 (2) in high yield. Complex 2 can also be synthesized by the direct reaction of (C5H5)3Nd with MBMPH2 in a 1:1 molar ratio and then with 1 equiv of 2-propanol in situ in THF. Thus, the analogue bis(phenolato)lanthanide alkoxides [(MBMP)2Ln(mu-OR)(THF)2]2 [R = Pr(i), Ln = Yb (3); R = Me, Ln = Nd (4), Yb (5); R = CH2Ph, Ln = Nd (6), Yb (7)] were obtained by the reactions of (C5H5)3Ln (Ln = Nd, Yb) with MBMPH2 and then with 2-propanol, methanol, or benzyl alcohol, respectively. The ytterbium complex {[(MBMP)2Yb(THF)2]2(mu-OCH2Ph)(mu-OH)} (8) was also isolated as a byproduct. The single-crystal structural analyses of complexes 1-3 and 8 revealed that the coordination geometry around lanthanide metal can be best described as a distorted tetrahedron in complex 1 and as a distorted octahedron in complexes 2, 3, and 8. A O-H...Yb agostic interaction was observed in complex 8. Complexes 2-7 were shown to be efficient catalysts for the controlled polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone.