The reactivity of lanthanide alkyl compounds with phenylacetylene: Synthesis and structure of [(Bu(t)Cp)(2)LnC CPh](2) (Ln=Nd, Gd)

[(Bu(t)Cp)(2)LnCH(3)](2) (Ln = Nd, Gd) react with PhC=CH to form the dimeric alkynide-bridged complexes [(Bu(t)Cp)(2)LnC=CPh](2) [Ln = Nd (I), Gd (II)]. Both compounds crystallized from toluene in the monoclinic space group C2/c. The two complexes are homologous, composed of asymmetric metal-alkynide bridges with Nd-C, Gd-C (alkynide) bond lengths of 2.602(4), 2.641(5) (I) and 2.532(6), 2.601(7) Angstrom (II), respectively. The average Nd-C (ring) and Gd-C (ring) distances are 2.746(13) and 2.703(19)Angstrom.