Lanthanide versus Actinide Reactivity in the Formation of Sterically Crowded [(C5Me5)3MLn] Nitrile and Isocyanide Complexes

The limits of steric crowding in organometallic metallocene complexes have been examined by studying the synthesis of [(C₅Me₅)₃ML_n] complexes as a function of metal in which L=Me₃CCN, Me₃CNC, and Me₃SiCN. The bis(tert‐butyl nitrile) complexes [(C₅Me₅)₃Ln(NCCMe₃)₂] (Ln=La, 1 ; Ce, 2 ; Pr, 3 ) can be isolated with the largest lanthanide metal ions, La³⁺, Ce³⁺, and Pr³⁺. The Pr³⁺ ion also forms an isolable mono‐nitrile complex, [(C₅Me₅)₃Pr(NCCMe₃)] ( 4 ), whereas for Nd³⁺ only the mono‐adduct [(C₅Me₅)₃Nd(NCCMe₃)] ( 5 ) was observed. With smaller metal ions, Sm³⁺ and Y³⁺, insertion of Me₃CCN into the M? C(C₅Me₅) bond was observed to form the cyclopentadiene‐substituted ketimide complexes [(C₅Me₅)₂Ln{NC(C₅Me₅)(CMe₃)}(NCCMe₃)] (Ln=Sm, 6 ; Y, 7 ). With tert‐butyl isocyanide ligands, a bis‐isocyanide product can be isolated with lanthanum, [(C₅Me₅)₃La(CNCMe₃)₂] ( 8 ), and a mono‐isocyanide product with neodymium, [(C₅Me₅)₃Nd(CNCMe₃)] ( 9 ). Silicon–carbon bond cleavage was observed in reactions between [(C₅Me₅)₃Ln] complexes and trimethylsilyl cyanide, Me₃SiCN, to produce the trimeric cyanide complexes [{(C₅Me₅)₂Ln(μ‐CN)(NCSiMe₃)}₃] (Ln=La, 10 ; Pr, 11 ). With uranium, a mono‐nitrile reaction product, [(C₅Me₅)₃U(NCCMe₃)] ( 12 ), which is analogous to 5 , was obtained from the reaction between [(C₅Me₅)₃U] and Me₃CCN, but [(C₅Me₅)₃U] reacts with Me₃CNC through C? N bond cleavage to form a trimeric cyanide complex, [{(C₅Me₅)₂U(μ‐CN)(CNCMe₃)}₃] ( 13 ).     

Single‐Molecule‐Magnet Behavior in the Family of [Ln(OETAP)2] Double‐Decker Complexes (Ln=Lanthanide,OETAP=Octa(ethyl)tetraazaporphyrin)

Double‐decker complexes of lanthanide cations can be readily prepared with tetraazaporphyrins (porphyrazines). We have synthesized and characterized a series of neutral double‐decker complexes [Ln(OETAP)₂] (Ln=Tb³⁺, Dy³⁺, Gd³⁺, Y³⁺; OETAP=octa(ethyl)tetraazaporphyrin). Some of these complexes show analogous magnetic features to their phthalocyanine (P_c) counterparts. The Tb³⁺ and Dy³⁺ derivatives exhibit single‐molecule magnet (SMM) behavior with high blocking temperatures over 50 and 10 K, respectively. These results confirm that, in double‐decker complexes that involve Tb or Dy, the (N₄)₂ square antiprism coordination mode has an important role in inducing very large activation energies for magnetization reversal. In contrast with their P_c counterparts, the use of tetraazaporphyrin ligands endows the presented [Ln(OETAP)₂] complexes with extraordinary chemical versatility. The double‐decker complexes that exhibit SMM behavior are highly soluble in common organic solvents, and easily processable even through sublimation.     

Lanthanide SMMs Based on Belt Macrocycles: Recent Advances and General Trends

Enhancement of axial magnetic anisotropy is the central objective to push forward the performance of Single-Molecule Magnet (SMM) complexes. In the case of mononuclear lanthanide complexes, the chemical environment around the paramagnetic ion must be tuned to place strongly interacting ligands along either the axial positions or the equatorial plane, depending on the oblate or prolate preference of the selected lanthanide. One classical strategy to achieve a precise chemical environment for a metal centre is using highly structured, chelating ligands. A natural approach for axial-equatorial control is the employment of macrocycles acting in a belt conformation, providing the equatorial coordination environment, and leaving room for axial ligands. In this review, we present a survey of SMMs based on the macrocycle belt motif. Literature systems are divided in three families (crown ether, Schiff-base and metallacrown) and their general properties in terms of structural stability and SMM performance are briefly discussed.     

Thermal Properties of Light Lanthanide 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoates

The light lanthanide 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoates were obtained by the addition of an equivalent quantity of 0.1 M ammonium 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoate to a hot solution of the light lanthanide nitrate, followed by crystallization at 293 K. The contents of carbon and hydrogen were determined by elemental analysis, with V₂O₅ as oxidizing agent, and the lanthanide element contents were established by the oxalic acid method. The complexes are anhydrous compounds with a metal to ligand ratio of 1:3 and the general formula Ln(C₁₀H₁₁O₅)₃. They have the colour characteristic of Ln³⁺. Their IR spectra were run in the range 4000–400 cm^–1 on an M-80 spectrophotometer by using KBr discs. In these complexes, the carboxylate group appears to be a bidentate chelating ligand. The X-ray powder patterns were taken on a DRON-2 diffractometer, using Ni-filtered CuK radiation, within the range 2=5–80°, by the Debye-Scherrer-Hull method. The diffractograms indicated that the complexes are crystalline compounds. Their thermal stabilities in air were studied (273–1173 K) through the use of TG, DTG and DTA techniques, with an OD-102 derivatograph.The 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoates of La and Nd decompose in two steps, but those of Ce, Pr, Sm and Eu in only one stop. The anhydrous 2,3,4-trimethoxybenzoates of La and Nd decompose to oxides with the intermediate formation of oxycarbonates, while those of Ce, Pr, Sm and Eu decompose directly to the oxides. The solubilities of these complexes in water (293 K) are in the order of 10^–3moldm^–3.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Periodicity of Single-Molecule Magnet Behaviour of Heterotetranuclear Lanthanide Complexes across the Lanthanide Series: A Compendium

Acetato-bridged palladium–lanthanide tetranuclear heterometallic complexes of the form [Pd₂Ln₂(H₂O)₂(CH₃COO)₁₀] ⋅ 2 CH₃COOH [Ln₂=Ce₂ ( 1 ), Pr₂ ( 2 ), Nd₂ ( 3 ), Sm₂ ( 4 ), Tb₂ ( 5 ), Dy₂ ( 6 ), Dy_0.2Y_1.8 ( 6′′ ), Ho₂ ( 7 ), Er₂ ( 8 ), Er_0.24Y_1.7 ( 8′′ ), Tm₂ ( 9 ), Yb₂ ( 10 ), Y₂( 11 )] were synthesised and characterised by experimental and theoretical techniques. All complexes containing Kramers lanthanide ions [Ln³⁺=Ce ( 1 ), Nd ( 3 ), Sm ( 4 ), Dy ( 6 ), DyY ( 6′′ ), Er ( 8 ), ErY ( 8′′ ), Yb ( 10 )] showed field-induced slow magnetic relaxation, characteristic of single-molecule magnetism and purely of molecular origin. In contrast, all non-Kramers lanthanide ions [Ln³⁺=Pr ( 2 ), Tb ( 5 ), Ho ( 7 ), Tm ( 9 ), Y³⁺ ( 11 ) is diamagnetic and non-lanthanide] did not show any slow magnetic relaxation. The variation in the electronic structure and accompanying consequences across the complexes representing all Kramers and non-Kramers lanthanide ions were investigated. The origin of the magnetic properties and the extent to which the axial donor–acceptor interaction involving the lanthanide ions and an electron-deficient orbital of palladium affects the observed magnetic and electronic properties across the lanthanide series are presented. Unique consistent electronic and magnetic properties of isostructural complexes spanning the lanthanide series with properties dependent on whether the ions are Kramers or non-Kramers are reported.     

Lanthanide(III) Bis(phthalocyaninato)–[60]Fullerene Dyads: Synthesis,Characterization, and Photophysical Properties

A novel series of double‐decker lanthanide(III) bis(phthalocyaninato)–C₆₀ dyads [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)]–C₆₀ (M=Sm, Eu, Lu; Pc=phthalocyanine) ( 1 a – c ) have been synthesized from unsymmetrically functionalized heteroleptic sandwich complexes [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)] (Ln=Sm, Eu, Lu) 3 a – c and fulleropyrrolidine carboxylic acid 2 . The sandwich complexes 3 a – c were obtained by means of a stepwise procedure from unsymmetrically substituted free‐base phthalocyanine 5 , which was first transformed into the monophthalocyaninato intermediate [Ln^III(acac)(Pc)] and further reacted with 1,2‐dicyanobenzene in the presence of 1,8‐diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec‐7‐ene (DBU). ¹H NMR spectra of the bis(phthalocyaninato) complexes 3 a – c and dyads 1 a – c were obtained by adding hydrazine hydrate to solutions of the complexes in [D₇]DMF, a treatment that converts the free radical double‐deckers into the protonated species, that is, [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)H] and [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)H]–C₆₀. The electronic absorption spectra of 3 a – c and 1 a – c in THF exhibit typical transitions of free‐radical sandwich complexes. In the case of dyads 1 a – c , the spectra display the absorption bands of both constituents, but no evidence of ground‐state interactions could be appreciated. When the UV/Vis spectra of 3 a – c and 1 a – c were recorded in DMF, typical features of the reduced forms were observed. Cyclic voltammetry studies for 3 a – c and 1 a – c were performed in THF. The electrochemical behavior of dyads 1 a – c is almost the exact sum of the behavior of the components, namely the double‐decker [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)] and the C₆₀ fullerene, thus confirming the lack of ground‐state interactions between the electroactive units. Photophysical studies on dyads 1 a – c indicate that only after irradiation at 387 nm, which excites both C₆₀ and [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)] components, a photoinduced electron transfer from the [Ln^III(Pc)(Pc′)] to C₆₀ occurs.     

Structural Diversity of Infinite 3d–4f Heterometallic Cluster Compounds Driven by Various Lanthanide Radii

The syntheses, structures, and characterization of six Ln³⁺–Cu²⁺–glycine (Hgly) coordination polymers are described in this paper. They represent three types of structures. Type I (Ln=La ( 1 ), Pr ( 2 ), and Sm ( 3 )) is a 1D catenarian polymer comprising [Ln₂] nodes bridged by four cis‐Cu(gly)₂ linkers. Type II (Ln=Eu ( 4 ) and Dy ( 5 )) is a 2D open framework with a 4⁴‐net, composed of novel [Ln₆Cu₂₂] cluster nodes linked by trans‐Cu(gly)₂ linkers. Furthermore, the inner structures of the [Ln₆Cu₂₂] nodes, and the connection mode between the nodes and linkers are slightly different for 4 and 5 . Type III (Ln=Er ( 6 )) is a 3D open framework with a novel 3⁶?4¹⁸?5³?6 topology, made up of [Er₆Cu₂₄] cluster nodes and trans‐Cu(gly)₂ linkers. The rich variety of the resulting structures owes itself mainly to the interselection between the dynamic control of metalloligands and cationic components. A transition from frequency dependence to frequency independence is observed in the field‐induced magnetization lag for 1 – 3 . The frequency dependence at low temperatures may come from the antiferromagnetic Cu? Cu interaction through the [Ln₂] nodes, whereas the frequency independence may be due to the disappearance of the antiferromagnetic Cu? Cu interaction at high temperatures.     

Bright Photoluminescence of [{(Cp )2Ce(μ‐Cl)}2]: A Valuable Technique for the Determination of the Oxidation State of Cerium

The synthesis and photoluminescence properties of the bright‐yellow organocerium complex [{(Cp )₂Ce(μ‐Cl)}₂] (Cp =1,3‐di(tert‐butyl)cyclopentadienyl) are presented. This coordination compound exhibits highly efficient photoluminescence within the yellow‐light wavelength range, with a high internal quantum yield of 61(±2) % at room temperature. The large red shift is attributed to the delocalizing ability of the aromatic ligands, whilst its quantum yield even makes this compound competitive with Ce³⁺‐activated LED phosphors in terms of its photoluminescence efficiency (disregarding its thermal stability). A bridging connection between two crystallographically independent Ce³⁺ ions is anticipated to be the reason for the highly efficient photoluminescence, even up to room temperature. The emission spectrum is characterized by two bands in the orange‐light range at both 10 K and room temperature, which are attributed to the parity‐allowed transitions 5d¹(²D_3/2)→4f¹(²F_7/2) and 5d¹(²D_3/2)→4f¹(²F_5/2) of Ce³⁺, respectively. The photoluminescence spectra were interpreted in relation to the structure and vibrational modes of the coordination compound. The spectra and optical properties indicate that trivalent cerium ions are the dominant species in the ground state, which also resolves an often‐encountered ambiguity in organocerium compounds. This result shows that photoluminescence spectroscopy is a versatile tool that can help elucidate the oxidation state of Ce in such compounds.     

Ytterbocenes as one- and two-electron reductants in their reactions with diazadienes: YbIII mixed-ligand bent-sandwich complexes containing a dianion of diazabutadiene

Ytterbocene [Yb(C(5)MeH(4))(2)(thf)(2)] reacts with diazabutadiene 2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)-N=CH-CH=N-C(6)H(3)iPr(2)-2,6 (DAD) as a one-electron reductant to afford a bis(cyclopentadienyl) Yb(III) derivative containing a DAD radical anion [Yb(C(5)MeH(4))(2)(dad(-.))]. However, ytterbocenes [YbCp*(2)(thf)(2)] (Cp*=C(5)Me(5), C(5)Me(4)H) coordinated by sterically demanding cyclopentadienyl ligands act as two-electron reductants in their reactions with DAD. These reactions occur by abstraction of one Cp* ring and result in the formation of novel Yb(III) mixed-ligand bent-sandwich complexes, [YbCp*(dad)(thf)], in which the dianion of DAD has an uncommon terminal eta(4)-coordination to the ytterbium atom. The variable-temperature magnetic measurements of complex [Yb(C(5)Me(5))(dad)(thf)] suggest the existence of redox tautomerism for this compound.     

Magnetocaloric Properties of Heterometallic 3d–Gd Complexes Based on the [Gd(oda)3]3− Metalloligand

A series of heterometallic 3d–Gd³⁺ complexes based on a lanthanide metalloligand, [M(H₂O)₆][Gd(oda)₃] ? 3 H₂O [M=Cr³⁺ ( 1‐Cr )] (H₂oda=2,2′‐oxydiacetic acid), [M(H₂O)₆][MGd(oda)₃]₂ ? 3 H₂O [M=Mn²⁺ ( 2‐Mn ), Fe²⁺ ( 2‐Fe ) and Co²⁺ ( 2‐Co )], and [M₃Gd₂(oda)₆(H₂O)₆] ? 12 H₂O [M=Ni²⁺ ( 3‐Ni ), Cu²⁺ ( 3‐Cu ), and Zn²⁺ ( 3‐Zn )], are reported. Magnetic and heat‐capacity studies revealed a significant impact on the magnetocaloric effect depending on the anisotropy of the 3d transition metal ions, as confirmed by comparison of the observed maximum values of ?ΔS_m between complexes 2‐Co and 1‐Cr . In these two complexes, the 3d metal ions have the same spin (S=3/2 for Co²⁺ and Cr³⁺ ions), and the theoretical calculation suggested a larger ?ΔS_m value for 2‐Co (47.8 J K^?1 kg^?1) than 1‐Cr (37.5 J K^?1 kg^?1); however, the significant anisotropy of Co²⁺ ions in 2‐Co , which can result in smaller effective spins, gives a smaller value of ?ΔS_m for 2‐Co (32.2 J K^?1 kg^?1) than for 1‐Cr (35.4 J K^?1 kg^?1) at ΔH=9 T.     

Synthesis and structures of the C5Me4SiMe3-supported polyhydride complexes over the full size range of the rare earth series

The acid-base reaction of [Ln(CH(2)SiMe(3))(3)(thf)(2)] with Cp'H gave the corresponding half-sandwich rare earth dialkyl complexes [(Cp')Ln(CH(2)SiMe(3))(2)(thf)] (1-Ln: Ln=Sc, Y, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu; Cp'=C(5)Me(4)SiMe(3)) in 62-90% isolated yields. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed that all of these complexes adopt a similar overall structure, in spite of large difference in metal-ion size. In most cases, the hydrogenolysis of the dialkyl complexes in toluene gave the tetranuclear octahydride complexes [{(Cp')Ln(μ-H)(2)}(4)(thf)(x)] (2-Ln: Ln=Sc, x=0; Y, x=1; Er, x=1; Tm, x=1; Gd, x=1; Dy, x=1; Ho, x=1) as the only isolable product. However, in the case of Lu, a trinuclear pentahydride [(Cp')(2)Lu(3)(μ-H)(5)(μ-CH(2)SiMe(2)C(5)Me(4))(thf)(2)] (3), in which the C-H activation of a methyl group of the Me(3)Si unit on a Cp' ligand took place, was obtained as a major product (66% yield), in addition to the tetranuclear octahydride [{(Cp')Lu(μ-H)(2)}(4)(thf)] (2-Lu, 34%). The use of hexane instead of toluene as a solvent for the hydrogenolysis of 1-Lu led to formation of 2-Lu as a major product (85%), while a similar reaction in THF yielded 3 predominantly (90%). The tetranuclear octahydride complexes of early (larger) lanthanide metals [{Cp'Ln(μ-H)(2)}(4)(thf)(2)] (2, Ln=La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm) were obtained in 38-57% isolated yields by hydrogenolysis of the bis(aminobenzyl) species [Cp'Ln(CH(2)C(6)H(4)NMe(2)-o)(2)], which were generated in-situ by reaction of [Ln(CH(2)C(6)H(4)NMe(2)-o)(3)] with one equivalent of Cp'H. X-ray crystallographic studies showed that the fine structures of these hydride clusters are dependent on the size of the metal ions.     

The β‐Agostic Structure in (C5Me5)2Sc(CH2CH3): Solid‐State NMR Studies of (C5Me5)2Sc−R (R=Me,Ph, Et)

Multinuclear solid‐state NMR studies of Cp*₂Sc?R (Cp*=pentamethylcyclopentadienyl; R=Me, Ph, Et) and DFT calculations show that the Sc?Et complex contains a β‐CH agostic interaction. The static central transition ⁴⁵Sc NMR spectra show that the quadrupolar coupling constants (C_q) follow the trend of Ph≈Me>Et, indicating that the Sc?R bond is different in Cp*₂Sc?Et compared to the methyl and phenyl complexes. Analysis of the chemical shift tensor (CST) shows that the deshielding experienced by Cβ in Sc?CH₂CH₃ is related to coupling between the filled σ_C‐C orbital and the vacant orbital.     

Synthetic Routes towards Multifunctional Cyclopentadienes

Cyclopentadiene, and more importantly its functionalized derivatives, are a cornerstone of synthetic chemistry. Nowadays, they find applications in (chiral) catalysis, as ligands for organometallic complexes with potential diagnostic and therapeutic applications, and many more. This Minireview highlights the progress that has been made in the development of flexible and robust synthetic routes towards multifunctional cyclopentadienes in the last 20 years.     

Synthesis, crystal structures, and properties of oxovanadium(IV)-lanthanide(III) heteronuclear complexes

A new series of oxovanadium(IV)-lanthanide(III) heteronuclear complexes [Yb(H2O)8]2[(VO)2(TTHA)](3)21 H2O (1), {[Ho(H2O)7(VO)2(TTHA)][(VO)2(TTHA)](0.5)} 8.5 H2O (2), {[Gd(H2O)7(VO)2(TTHA)][(VO)2(TTHA)](0.5)}8.5 H2O (3), {[Eu(H2O)7][(VO)2(TTHA)](1.5)} 10.5 H2O (4), and [Pr2(H2O)6(SO4)2][(VO)2(TTHA)] (5) (H6TTHA=triethylenetetraaminehexaacetic acid) were prepared by using the bulky flexible organic acid H(6)TTHA as structure-directing agent. X-ray crystallographic studies reveal that they contain the same [(VO)2(TTHA)]2- unit as building block, but the Ln3+ ion lies in different coordination environments. Although the lanthanide ions always exhibit similar chemical behavior, the structures of the complexes are not homologous. Compound 1 is composed of a [Yb(H2O)8]3+ ion and a [(VO)2(TTHA)]2- ion. Compounds 2 and 3 are isomorphous; both contain a trinuclear [Ln(H2O)7(VO)2(TTHA)]+ (Ln=Ho for 2 and Gd for 3) ion and a [(VO)2(TTHA)]2- ion. Compound 4 is an extended one-dimensional chain, in which each Eu3+ ion links two [(VO)2(TTHA)]2- ions. For 5, the structure is further assembled into a three-dimensional network with an interesting framework topology comprising V2Pr2 and V4Pr2 heterometallic lattices. Moreover, 4 and 5 are the first oxovanadium(IV)-lanthanide(III) coordination polymers and thus enlarge the realm of 3d-4f complexes. The IR, UV/Vis, and EPR spectra and the magnetic properties of the heterometallic complexes were studied. Notably, 2 shows unusual ferromagnetic interactions between the VO2+ and Ho3+ ions.