[((ETA-5-C5H4CH3)2YB(III)(OC4H8))2(MU-O)] - NEW LANTHANOID (LN) COMPLEX WITH STRICTLY LINEAR LN-O-LN ORDER

Light-green, well-shaped crystals of the new binuclear complex: [{(eta-5-C5H4CH3)2Yb(III)(THF)}2(mu-O)] (1), incidentally obtained from a solution of (C5H4CH3)3Yb(III) in tetrahydrofuran (THF) in the presence of glyoxal-bis(tert-butylimine), have been subjected to a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study. The crystals are monoclinic, with space group P2(1)/c and a 1110.4(2), b 862.3(1), c 1628.0(3) pm; beta 104.69(1)-degrees; R = 0.047 (R(w) = 0.051). The Yb-O distance of 201.5(1) pm within the strictly linear Yb-O-Yb skeleton belongs to the shortest Ln-O bonds Ln = lanthanoid element) so far observed.