Synthesis and structural investigation of hafnium(IV) complexes with acetylacetone and trifluoroacetylacetone

Two volatile hafnium(IV) complexes with acetylacetone and trifluoroacetylacetone (HL) have been prepared and their structures have been studied at ?30°C. Crystal data for C₂₀H₂₈HfO₈: a = 21.5493(4) Å, b = 8.36720(10) Å, c = 13.9905(3) Å; β = 116.5550(10)°, space group C2/c, Z = 4, d _calc = 1.692 g/cm³, R = 0.015. Crystal data for C₂₀H₁₆F₁₂HfO₈: a = 8.1039(12) Å, b = 11.4499(14) Å, c = 15.790(2) Å; α = 99.341(4)°, β = 103.175(4)°, γ = 108.185(4)°, space group P?1, Z = 2, d _calc = 2.003 g/cm³, R = 0.074. Both structures are molecular and comprise isolated complex molecules HfL₄. The hafnium atom is coordinated with eight oxygen atoms of four β-diketonate ligands, Hf-O distances varying from 2.153 Å to 2.191 Å. The molecules make van der Waals contacts in the structures.