Lanthanide(III) complexes of N-salicylideneglycine and N-(2-hydroxy-1-naphthylidene) glycine

New lanthanide(III) complexes of N-salicylideneglycine and N-(2-hydroxy-1-naphthylidene) glycine have been prepared and characterized by elemental analytical, molar conductance, and IR and UV-visible spectral data. Both the ligands (H₂L) have been found to act as monobasic tridentate towards lanthanide ions, yielding complexes of the type Ln(HL)₂(NO₃)] and Ln(HL)₂(Cl)(H₂O)]. The spectral data reveal that the HL moiety is bonded to the central atom through its phenolic oxygen, imine nitrogen and a carboxylate oxygen, and that the nitrato group acts as bidentate. From the observed pattern of hypersensitivef-f bands, octacoordination is construed.