Synthesis, characterization and structural diversity of lanthanide chlorides supported by the β-diketiminate ligand [{(2,6-Me2C6H3)NC(Me)}2CH]-

Reactions of the beta-diketiminate lithium salt (LLi)-Li-2 [L-2 = {(2,6-Me2C6H3)NC(Me)}(2)CH] with anhydrous LnCl(3) (Ln = Yb, Sm, Nd) in 1:1 molar ratio in THF afforded the new beta-diketiminate lanthanide complexes L(2)LnCl(THF)(mu-Cl)(2)Li(THF)(2) (Ln = Yb (1), Sm (2), Nd (3)). Recrystallization of complexes 1-3 from toluene gave the neutral complexes L(2)LnCl(2)(THF)(2) (Ln = Yb (4), Sm (5), Nd (6)). Recrystallization of complexes 4 and 5 in hot toluene for two times gave the dinuclear complexes L(2)ClLn(mu-Cl)(3)LnL(2)(THF) (Ln = Yb (7), Sm (8)). Treatment of the mother liquor of complex 2 in hot toluene for three times gave the novel trinuclear complex (LSMCl)-S-2(mu-Cl)(3)SmL2 (mu-Cl)Li((LH)-H-2)(THF) (9). Each of these complexes was well characterized, while complexes 3, 7 and 9 have been characterized by X-ray diffraction structure determination. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.