Interplay between lead carboxylate and Ti or Zr isopropoxides in solution routes to perovskites: synthesis, molecular structures and reactivity of single source non-oxo Pb-Zr and Pb-Ti carboxylatoalkoxides supported by 2-ethylhexanoate ligands.

The reactions between Ti(O(i)Pr)(4) and Zr(2)(O(i)Pr)(8)(HO(i)Pr)(2), respectively, and lead 2-ethylhexanoate Pb(O(2)CC(7)H(15))(2) have been investigated at rt and by heating. The initial mixed-metal species, characterized by single-crystal X-Ray diffraction, were adducts namely Pb(4)Zr(4)(mu-O(2)CR')(8)(mu-OR)(6)(mu(3)-OR)(2)(OR)(8)(OHR)(2) and Pb(2)Ti(4)(mu-O(2)CR')(4)(mu-OR)(6)(mu(3)-OR)(2)(OR)(8) (R' = CHCH(Et)C(2)H(4)Me, R = (i)Pr) independently of the stoichiometry used. They are the first Pb-Ti and Pb-Zr non-oxo carboxylatoalkoxides reported. is also the first Pb-Zr species based on an alkoxide-carboxylate ligand set matching the PbZrO(3) stoichiometry. Both structures are centrosymmetric with six-coordinate transition metals, as required for the perovskite, and are based on triangular M(2)Pb cores (M = Zr, Ti). The lead centers display quite high coordination numbers, six and seven. The thermal and hydrolytic condensation reactions of and were investigated. Heat treatment of and elimination of the volatiles under vacuum afforded Pb(2)Ti(3)(mu(4)-O)(mu(3)-O)(mu-O(2)CC(7)H(15))(2)(mu-O(i)Pr)(6)(O(i)Pr)(4) resulting from extrusion of Ti(O(i)Pr)(4) and scrambling of carboxylate ligands. Characterization of the various compounds was achieved by elemental analysis, FT-IR, (1)H and (207)Pb NMR.