Rare-earth metal methylidene complexes with Ln3(μ3-CH2)(μ3-Me)(μ2-Me)3 core structure.

Trinuclear rare-earth metal methylidene complexes with a Ln3(μ3-CH2)(μ3-Me)(μ2-Me)3 structural motif were synthesized by applying three protocols. Polymeric [LuMe3]n (1-Lu) reacts with the sterically demanding amine H[NSiMe3(Ar)] (Ar = C6H3iPr2-2,6) in tetrahydrofuran via methane elimination to afford isolable monomeric [NSiMe3(Ar)]LuMe2(thf)2 (4-Lu). The formation of trinuclear rare-earth metal tetramethyl methylidene complexes [NSiMe3(Ar)]3Ln3(μ3-CH2)(μ3-Me)(μ2-Me)3(thf)3 (7-Ln; Ln = Y, Ho, Lu) via reaction of [LnMe3]n (1-Ln; Ln = Y, Ho, Lu) with H[NSiMe3(Ar)] is proposed to occur via an "intermediate" species of the type [NSiMe3(Ar)]LnMe2(thf)x and subsequent C-H bond activation. Applying Lappert's concept of Lewis base-induced methylaluminate cleavage, compounds [NSiMe3(Ar)]Ln(AlMe4)2 (5-Ln; Ln = Y, La, Nd, Ho) were converted into methylidene complexes 7-Ln (Ln = Y, Nd, Ho) in the presence of tetrahydrofuran. Similarly, tetramethylgallate complex [NSiMe3(Ar)]Y(GaMe4)2 (6-Y) could be employed as a synthesis precursor for 7-Y. The molecular composition of complexes 4-Ln, 5-Ln, 6-Y and 7-Ln was confirmed by elemental analyses, FTIR spectroscopy, (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy (except for holmium derivatives) and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The Tebbe-like reactivity of methylidene complex 7-Nd with 9-fluorenone was assessed affording oxo complex [NSiMe3(Ar)]3Nd3(μ3-O)(μ2-Me)4(thf)3 (8-Nd). The synthesis of 5-Ln yielded [NSiMe3(Ar)]2Ln(AlMe4) (9-Ln; Ln = La, Nd) as minor side-products, which could be obtained in moderate yields when homoleptic Ln(AlMe4)3 were treated with two equivalents of K[NSiMe3(Ar)].