Synthesis, molecular, and electronic structure of (eta(8)-C8H8)Ln(scorpionate) half-sandwich complexes: an experimental key to a better understanding of f-element-cyclooctatetraenyl bonding.
Synthetic routes leading to two series of (eta(8)-cyclooctatetraenyl)lanthanide(III) scorpionate "mixed sandwich" complexes are reported. The early lanthanide derivatives (COT)Ln(Tp) (Ln = Ce (1), Pr (2), Nd (3), Sm (4)) and (COT)Ln(Tp(Me2)) (Ln = Ce (5), Pr (6), Nd (7), Sm (8)) (COT = eta(8)-cyclooctatetraenyl, Tp = hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate, Tp(Me2) = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)borate) were obtained by reacting the dimeric halide precursors [(COT)Ln(mu-Cl)(THF)]2 with K[Tp] or K[Tp(Me2)], respectively For the late lanthanide elements a different synthetic route was developed. The complexes (COT)Ln(Tp) (Ln = Er (9), Lu (10)) were made by the reaction of (Tp)LnCl2(THF)1.5 with equivalent amounts of K2C8H8. All new compounds were isolated as intensely colored crystalline materials and fully characterized by elemental analyses and spectroscopic methods. The molecular structures of 4, 5, and 8 were elucidated by X-ray diffraction. The optical spectra of compounds 2 and 4-8 were run at room and low temperatures. From the spectra obtained, the underlying crystal field splitting patterns of complexes 2, 4, 6, and 7 were derived and simulated by fitting the free parameters of a phenomenological Hamiltonian. The parameters used allow the estimation of the crystal field strengths experienced by the Ln3+ central ions and the insertion of complexes 2, 4, 6, and 7 into empiric nephelauxetic and relativistic nephelauxetic series. Besides, the experimentally oriented non-relativistic and relativistic molecular orbital schemes of compound 6 were set up and compared with the results of previous model calculations on [Ln(COT)2]-, Pa(COT)2, and U(COT)2.
Amberger
Hanns-Dieter
HD
Institut für Anorganische and Angewandte Chemie der Universität Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
Edelmann
Frank T
FT
Gottfriedsen
Jochen
J
Herbst-Irmer
Regine
R
Jank
Stefan
S
Kilimann
Ulrike
U
Noltemeyer
Mathias
M
Reddmann
Hauke
H
Schäfer
Martina
M