Dy4, Dy5, and Ho2 Complexes of an N3O2 Aminophenol Donor: A Dy5-µ3-Peroxide Single Molecule Magnet

The reactivity of the new flexible potentially pentadentate N₃O₂ aminophenol ligand H₄L^r (2,2'-((pyridine-2,6-diylbis(methylene))bis(azanediyl))diphenol) towards different dysprosium salts and holmium(III) nitrate was investigated. Accordingly, this reactivity seems to greatly depend on the metal ion and salt employed. In this way, the reaction of H₄L^r with dysprosium(III) chloride in air leads to the oxo-bridged tetranuclear complex [Dy₄(H₂L^r)₃(Cl)₄(μ₃-O)(EtOH)₂(H₂O)₂]·2EtOH·H₂O (1·2EtOH·H₂O), while the same reaction just changing the chloride salt by the nitrate one renders the peroxo-bridged pentanuclear compound [Dy₅(H₂L^r)₂(H_2.5L^r)₂(NO₃)₄(µ₃-O₂)₂]·2H₂O (2·2H₂O), where both peroxo ligands seem to come from the fixation and reduction of atmospheric oxygen. However, if holmium(III) nitrate is used instead of dysprosium(III) nitrate, no evidence of a peroxide ligand is observed, and the dinuclear complex {[Ho₂(H₂L^r)(H₃L^r)(NO₃)₂(H₂O)₂](NO₃)} 2.5H₂O (3·2.5H₂O) is isolated. The three complexes were unequivocally characterized by X-ray diffraction techniques, and their magnetic properties were analyzed. Thus, while the Dy₄ and Ho₂ complexes do not show magnet-like behavior even in the presence of an external magnetic field, 2·2H₂O is a single molecule magnet, with an U_eff barrier of 61.2 K (43.2 cm^-1). This is the first homonuclear lanthanoid peroxide SMM, which also shows the highest barrier among the reported 4f/3d peroxide zero field SMMs to date.

Formation of a cyclooctatetraenylsamarium(III) inverse sandwich that ring-opens tetrahydrofuran

Reductive trapping of the cyclooctatetraenyl dianion (COT^2-) by treatment of [Sm(DippForm)₂(thf)₂] (DippFormH = N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidine; thf = tetrahydrofuran) with 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene (C₈H₈) in toluene yields an inverse sandwich dinuclear complex [Sm₂(DippForm)₄(COT)] (1), but [Sm(DippForm)(COT)(thf)₂] (2) and [Sm(DippForm)₂(O-C₄H₈-DippForm)(thf)] (3) in thf, and 1 yields 2 and 3 on treatment with thf.

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.

On the usability of salt metathesis reactions for the synthesis of sterically crowded tris-formamidinate Ln(iii) complexes: success and limits. Spontaneous reduction of Eu(iii) to Eu(ii)

New homoleptic complexes of Eu3+ and Nd3+ bearing three bulky N,N′-bis(diisopropylphenyl)formamidinates were prepared using salt metathesis in a toluene medium. In the presence of THF, the sterically-induced reduction of Eu3+ to Eu2+ was observed.

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.

A simple one-pot route to stable formamidinatoiodidolanthanoid(III) complexes from lanthanoid metals

A number of formamidinatoiodidolanthanoid(III) complexes, [Ln(DFForm)₂I(thf)₂] and [Ln(DFForm)I₂(thf)₃] (DFFormH = N,N'-bis(2,6-difluorophenyl)formamidine) and [Ln(DippForm)I₂(thf)₃] (DippFormH = N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidine) have been synthesized in good yields by one-pot direct reactions of the corresponding free metals with iodine and DFFormH or DippFormH in suitable ratios and are stable to rearrangement.

Application of the Redox-Transmetalation Procedure to Access Divalent Lanthanide and Alkaline-Earth NHC Complexes*

Divalent lanthanide and alkaline-earth complexes supported by N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been accessed by redox-transmetalation between air-stable NHC-AgI complexes and the corresponding metals. By using the small ligand 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMe), two series of isostructural complexes were obtained: the tetra-NHC complexes [LnI2 (IMe)4 ] (Ln=Eu and Sm) and the bis-NHC complexes [MI2 (IMe)2 (THF)2 ] (M=Yb, Ca and Sr). In the former, distortions in the NHC coordination were found to originate from intermolecular repulsions in the solid state. Application of the redox-transmetalation strategy with the bulkier 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) ligand yielded [SrI2 (IMes)(THF)3 ], while using a similar procedure with Ca metal led to [CaI2 (THF)4 ] and uncoordinated IMes. DFT calculations were performed to rationalise the selective formation of the bis-NHC adduct in [SrI2 (IMe)2 (THF)2 ] and the tetra-NHC adduct in [SmI2 (IMe)4 ]. Since the results in the gas phase point towards preferential formation of the tetra-NHC complexes for both metal centres, the differences between both arrangements are a result of solid-state effects such as slightly different packing forces.

Synthesis and characterization of a range of antimony(I/III) N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinate complexes

Formamidinatoantimony(I/III) complexes have been successfully synthesized as monomers or dimers in the solid state featuring a variety of coordination geometries and have also been comprehensively characterized. The antimony(I) formamidinate complex bis[μ-N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinato]diantimony(I)(2 Sb-Sb) tetrahydrofuran heptasolvate, [Sb₂(C₂₅H₃₅N₂)₂]·7C₄H₈O or [Sb₂(DippForm)₂]·7THF, (1), was obtained by a metathesis reaction between sodium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide [NaN(SiMe₃)₂] and N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidine (DippFormH), followed by SbCl₃. A range of trivalent haloformamidinatoantimony(III) complexes, namely, bis[N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinato]chloridoantimony(III), [Sb(C₂₅H₃₅N₂)₂Cl] or [Sb(DippForm)₂Cl], (2), bis[N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinato]bromidoantimony(III), [SbBr(C₂₅H₃₅N₂)₂] or [SbBr(DippForm)₂], (3), bis[N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinato]iodidoantimony(III), [Sb(C₂₅H₃₅N₂)₂I] or [Sb(DippForm)₂I], (4), [N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinato]dibromidoantimony(III), [SbBr₂(C₂₅H₃₅N₂)] or [SbBr₂(DippForm)], (5), and [N,N'-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinato]diiodidoantimony(III), [Sb(C₂₅H₃₅N₂)I₂] or [Sb(DippForm)I₂], (6), were also synthesized by adding DippFormH and MN(SiMe₃)₂ (M = Li or Na) to the corresponding antimony halides SbX₃ (X = Cl, Br or I) in differing ratios. The complexes were all stable to rearrangement.