Organoamido-and aryloxo-lanthanoids .12. The coordination chemistry of bis(2-phenylindol-1-yl)ytterbium(II), and the X-ray crystal structures of Yb(pin)(2)(diglyme)(thf) and [Yb(pin)(2)(dme)](2) (pin equals 2-phenylindol-1-yl, diglyme equals bis(2-methoxyethyl)ether, thf equals tetrahydrofuran, dme equals 1,2-dimethoxyethane)

With the facile displacement being utilized of thf from Yb(pin)(2)(thf)(4) (pin = 2-phenylindol-1-yl, thf = tetrahydrofuran) in toluene solution, the complexes Yb(pin)(2)(dme)(2) (dme = 1,2-dimethoxyethane), Yb(pin)(2)(tmen) (tmen = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethane-1,2-diamine) and Yb(pin)(2)(diglyme)(thf) (diglyme = bis(2-methoxyethyl)ether) have been prepared from the respective ligands and Yb(pin)(2)(thf)(4). Yb(pin)(2)(diglyme)(thf) [monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c, a 15.35(1), b 16.179(5), c 14.45(2)Angstrom, beta 107.51(8)degrees, Z 4, R 0.044 for 2956 (I<3sigma(I)) 'observed' reflections] has a monomeric six-coordinate structure with transoid nitrogen donor atoms, N-Yb-N 143.6(4)degrees and an irregular coordination polyhedron described as either a distorted trigonal prism or a monocapped square pyramid. Attempted crystallization of Yb(pin)(2)(thf) by partial desolvation of Yb(pin)(2)(thf)(4) in hot toluene, containing a trace of dme, gave a mixture of red Yb(pin)(2)(thf) and orange[Yb(pin)(2)(dme)](2). The latter was independently synthesized by partial desolvation of Yb(pin)(s)(dme)(2) in toluene. An X-ray crystal structure showed [Yb(pin)(2)(dme)](2) [monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c, a 11.614(2), b 15.945(7), c 15.327(4)Angstrom, beta 110.19(2)degrees, Z 2 dimers, R 0.070 for 2314 (I greater than or equal to 3sigma(I)) 'observed' reflections] to be a dimer with two bridging pin ligands, coordinated through nitrogen only. There is an approximately square pyramidal five-coordinate ytterbium environment with an apical dme oxygen, and with two bridging nitrogens, a terminal nitrogen, and a dme oxygen in the basal plane.