The Stereochemical Activity of the Lone Pair in [Bi(NO3)3{(iPrO)2(O)PCH2P(O)(OiPr)2}2] — Comparison of Bismuth,Lanthanum and Praseodymium Nitrate Complexes

Five coordination compounds of bismuth, lanthanum and praseodymium nitrate with the oxygen‐coordinating chelate ligand (ⁱPrO)₂(O)PCH₂P(O)(OⁱPr)₂ (L) are reported: [Bi(NO₃)₃(L)₂] ( 1 ), [La(NO₃)₃(L)₂] ( 2 ), [Pr(NO₃)₃(L)₂] ( 3 ), [La(NO₃)₃(L)(H₂O)] ( 4 ) and [Pr(NO₃)₃(L)(H₂O)] ( 5 ). The compounds were characterized by means of single crystal X‐ray crystallography, ¹H and ³¹P NMR spectroscopy in solution, solid‐state ³¹P NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, DTA‐TG measurements ( 1 , 2 and 4 ), conductometry and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). In addition, DFT calculations for model compounds of 1 and 2 support our experimental work. In the solid state mononuclear coordination compounds were observed for 1 — 3 , whereas compounds 4 and 5 gave one‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded polymers via water‐nitrate coordination. Despite of the similar ionic radii of bismuth(III), lanthanum(III) and praseodymium(III) for a given coordination number the bismuth and lanthanide compounds 1 — 3 are not isostructural. The bismuth compound 1 shows a 9‐coordinate bismuth atom whereas lanthanum(III) and praseodymium(III) atoms are 10‐coordinate in the lanthanide complexes 2 — 5 . The general LnO₁₀ coordination motif in compounds 2 — 5 is best described as a distorted bi‐capped square antiprism. The BiO₉ polyhedron might be deduced from the LnO₁₀ polyhedron by replacing one oxygen ligand with a stereochemically active lone pair. The one‐to‐one complexes 4 and 5 dissociate in solution to give the corresponding one‐to‐two complexes 2 and 3 , respectively, and solvated Ln(NO₃)₃. In contrast to the lanthanides, the one‐to‐two bismuth complex 1 is less stable in CH₃CN solution and partially dissociates to give solvated Bi(NO₃)₃ and (ⁱPrO)₂(O)PCH₂P(O)(OⁱPr)₂.