SYNTHESIS, CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES AND THERMAL-DECOMPOSITION STUDIES OF A SERIES OF COPPER-LANTHANOID COMPLEXES OF 6-METHYL-2-PYRIDONE

A series of mixed copper-lanthanoid complexes have been synthesised and structurally characterised. All the compounds were made from the reaction of [Cu6Na(mhp)(12)]NO3 (mhp is the anion of 6-methyl-2-pyridone) with hydrated lanthanoid nitrates in methanol. In each case X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed a central Cu2O2 ring bridged to peripheral lanthanoid (Ln) atoms by mhp ligands. For early lanthanoids (La, Ce and Nd) the complex has a stoichiometry [Ln(2)Cu(2)(OMe)(2)(mhp)(4)(NO3)(4)-(Hmhp)(2) (MeOH)(4)], in which the Ln atoms are nine-co-ordinate with approximate tricapped-trigonal prismatic geometry. For later lanthanoids (Gd, Dy and Yb) the stoichiometry is [Ln(2)Cu(2)(OMe)(2)(mhp)(4)(NO3)(4)- (Hmhp)(2)(MeOH)(2)] and the Ln atoms are eight-co-ordinate, with a geometry that can be related to a dodecahedron. For Ln = Sm a disordered co-ordination sphere results, presumably caused by the intermediate ionic radius of Sm leading to very similar stabilities for the eight- and nine-co-ordinate structures. Thermal decomposition studies of these complexes have also been carried out which indicate that decomposition occurs initial ly to monometallic oxides or oxide carbonates, followed by production of the mixed-oxide phase Ln(2)CuO(4) (for Ln = La, Nd, Gd or Dy) or Ln(2)Cu(2)O(5) (for Ln = Er or Yb). In most cases CuO is also found. All oxide and oxide-carbonate phases have been characterised by X-ray powder diffraction.