Synthesis, characterization, and structural analyses of three high-coordination tetra-n-butylammonium lanthanide(III) complexes

Reactions of tetra-n-butylammonium thiocyanate with the appropriate lanthanide nitrate polhydrate yield complexes of the general type [(n-C4H9)(4)N](3)[Ln(NCS)(x)(NO3)(y)]. [(n-C4H9)(4)N](3)[Pr(NCS)(2)(NO3)(4)] (I), [(n-C4H9)(4)N](3)[Nd(NCS)(4)(NO3)(2)] (II), and [(n-C4H9)(4)N](3)[Dy(NCS)(4)(NO3)(2)] (III) were crystallized from ethanol and characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography, IR spectroscopy, and other physical determinations. The coordination about the central lanthanide ion varied. For complex I, the geometric polyhedron is a bicapped square antiprism (D-4d), while those for complexes II and III are best described as a dodecahedral prism (D-2d). Details of the synthesis and selected bond distances and angles are presented and discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.