SYNTHESIS AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF A NEW LANTHANIDE CYCLOOCTATETRAENE COMPLEX (ETA-8-C8H8)ER(MU-ETA-8-C8H8)K(MU-ETA-8-C8H8)ER(MU-ETA-8-C8H8)K(THF)4

The tetranuclear nearly-linear complex (eta-8-C8H8)Er(mu-eta-8-C8H8)K(mu-eta-8-C8H8)Er(mu-eta-8-C8H8)K(THF)4 (THF = tetrahydrofuran) is first synthesised by the reaction of benzylcyclopentadienyl erbium dichloride (PhCH2C5H4)ErCl2.3THF with cyclooctatetraenyl potassium K2C8H8 in 1:1 molar ratio in THF; a single crystal X-ray study has shown that the complex has the tetralayer-sandwich structure and that the adjacent Er3+ and K+ ions are bridged by eta-8-cyclooctatetraenyl group.