Five different types of η(8)-cyclooctatetraenyl-lanthanide half-sandwich complexes from one ligand set, including a "giant neodymium wheel".

The lithium-cyclopropylethynylamidinates Li[c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NR)2] (1a: R = (i)Pr, 1b: R = cyclohexyl (Cy)) have been used as precursors for the preparation of five new series of half-sandwich complexes. These complexes contain the large flat cyclooctatetraenyl ligand (C8H8(2-), commonly abbreviated as COT), and were isolated as solvated, unsolvated and inverse sandwich complexes. Treatment of the halide precursors [(COT)Pr(µ-Cl)(THF)2]2 with 1b and [(COT)Nd(µ-Cl)(THF)2]2 with 1a and 1b in THF in a 1 : 2 molar ratio, respectively, afforded (COT)Ln[µ-c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NR)2]2Li(L) (2: Ln = Pr, R = Cy, L = Et2O; 3: Ln = Nd, R = (i)Pr, L = THF; 4: Ln = Nd, R = Cy, L = THF). Treatment of the dimeric cerium(iii) bis(cyclopropylethynylamidinate) complexes [{c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NR)2}2Ce(µ-Cl)(THF)]2 (5: R = (i)Pr; 6: R = Cy) in situ with K2C8H8 in a 1 : 1 molar ratio in THF at room temperature afforded the inverse-sandwich complexes (µ-η(8):η(8)-COT)[Ce{c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NR)2}2]2 (7: R = (i)Pr; 8: R = Cy). This reaction represents a new method for encapsulation of a planar (C8H8)(2-) ring in lanthanide complexes containing amidinate ligands in the outer decks. Novel unsolvated dinuclear lanthanide half-sandwich complexes were prepared by using the precursors 1a, 1b and COT(2-). Unlike the complexes 2-4, the reaction of [(COT)Pr(µ-Cl)(THF)2]2 with 1a afforded the unsolvated centrosymmetric complex [(COT)Pr(µ-c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(N(i)Pr)2)]2 (9). These dimeric structures could be also accessed by reaction of LnCl3 (Ln = Ce or Nd) with 1a or 1b and K2COT in a 1 : 1 : 1 molar ratio as a one-pot reaction to give novel [(COT)Ln(µ-c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NR)2)]2 complexes (10: Ln = Ce, R = (i)Pr; 11: Ln = Ce, R = Cy; 12: Ln = Nd, R = (i)Pr). Similar treatment of HoCl3 with 1a or 1b and K2COT as three-component reactions in a 1 : 1 : 1 molar ratio afforded the solvated half-sandwich complexes (COT)Ho(c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NR)2)(THF) (13: R = (i)Pr; 14: R = Cy). A unique multidecker sandwich complex [(µ-η(8):η(8)-COT){Nd(c-C3H5-C[triple bond, length as m-dash]C-C(NCy)2)(µ-Cl)}2]4 (15) was prepared by reaction of anhydrous NdCl3 with K2COT and 1b in a one-pot reaction. The solid state structure of 15 revealed the presence of an unprecedented macrocyclic sandwich compound ("giant neodymium wheel") consisting of four COT rings sandwiched between eight Nd(3+) ions, and each Nd(3+) ion is bonded to one amidinate ligand and bridged by two chlorine atoms with the neighbouring Nd(3+) ion.