Lanthanide-potassium wheels

Mixed potassium-lanthanide wheel-shaped-structured, hexanuclear coordination oligomers of composition (eta5-C5H5)Ln(NPh2)2{N(PPh2)2}2K2(THF)4]2 (Ln = Er (1a), Yb (1b)) and an octanuclear coordination polymer of composition (eta5-C5H5)Sm(NPh2)2{N(PPh2)2}K]infinity (2) were synthesized. All presented compounds can be obtained in moderate yields in a one-pot procedure, in which the potassium salts KNPh2 and K(THF)(n)N(PPh2)2] as well as NaC5H5 are reacted with anhydrous samarium, erbium, and ytterbium trichloride in THF.