Effects of metal-size and auxiliary ligand on the alkylation of lanthanide-halide with Li[(CH2)CH2)PPh2]. X-ray crystal structures of Me2PPh2][Sm(η5-C5H4Bu [Li(C4H8O)4][Er(NPh2)4]

The interaction of Li(CH2)(CH2)PPh2] in tetrahydrofuran with one equivalent of η5-C5H4But)2LnCl · LiCl (Ln = Sm, Yb) gave the anionic lanthanide ate complex Me2PPh2(η5-C5H4Cl] (1, Sm) or the neutral lanthanide-ylide complex . The interaction of LnCl3 (Ln = Er, Yb) in tetrahydrofuran with two equivalents of NaNPh2 followed by one equivalent of Li[CH2)(CH2PPh2] gave the unexpected anionic homoleptic tetra-coordinate lanthanide-amide ate complex, [Li(C4H8O)4][Ln(NPh2)4] (4, Er; 5, Yb). All of these complexes have been characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods. The structures of 1 and 4 hav been established by X-ray diffraction.