SYNTHESES AND X-RAY STRUCTURES OF BIS(T-BUTYLCYCLOPENTADIENYL)LANTHANIDE CHLORIDE COMPLEXES [(BU(T)CP)2LNCL]2 (LN = PR, GD, ER)

Reaction of lanthanide trichlorides with two equivalents of sodium t-butylcyclopentadienide in THF gave rise to the bis(t-butylcyclopentadienyl)lanthanide chloride complexes [(Bu(t)Cp)2LnCl]2 (Ln = Pr, Gd, Er), which were characterized by elemental analysis, IR and H-1 NMR spectroscopy. In addition, the crystal structures of [(ButCp)2PrCl]2 (1) and [(ButCp)2GdCl]2 (2) were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction at room temperature. The coordination number for Pr3+ and Gd3+ is 8 and the bond lengths Pr-Cl and Gd-Cl are 2.864(2) and 2.771(3) angstrom, respectively. The structural studies showed the complexes to have C2h symmetry.