FORMATION OF A CYCLOPENTADIENYL ARENE COORDINATION COMPLEX OF POTASSIUM IN THE PRESENCE OF THF AND ARYLOXIDE LIGANDS - SYNTHESIS AND STRUCTURE OF (K[MU-C5H5)(2)ND(MU-O-C(6)H(3)ME(2)-2,6)(2)])N

KC5H5 reacts with [Nd(OAr)(3)(THF)(2)](2).2THF (Ar = C(6)H(3)Me(2)-2,6), 1, prepared from NdCl3 and NaOAr in THF, to form in high yield {K[(mu-C5H5)(2)Nd(mu-OAr)(2)]}(n), 2, which crystallizes from THF/benzene. In 2, the potassium is coordinated in a distorted tetrahedral arrangement by two cyclopentadienyl ring centroids and two aryloxide arene ring centroids with no close contacts to oxygen donor atoms (shortest K...O distance is 4.4 Angstrom). Neodymium has a distorted tetrahedral coordination environment formed by two C5H5 ring centroids and two aryloxide oxygen atoms. All of the ligands are bridging and generate a two dimensional extended network. 2 crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n with unit cell dimensions at 160 K of a = 9.827(2) Angstrom, b = 15.637(4) Angstrom, c = 16.166(4) Angstrom, beta = 95.96(1)degrees, V = 2470(1) Angstrom(3), Z = 4. Least squares refinement of the model based on 1959 reflections (\F-o\ > 6 sigma(\F-o\)) converged to R = 0.067.