THE PREPARATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF VOLATILE DERIVATIVES OF TRIVALENT METALS USING FLUORINATED ALKOXIDE LIGANDS - X-RAY STRUCTURES OF [SC(OCH(CF3)2)3(NH3)2]2, [PR(OCME(CF3)2)3(NH3)2]2, [Y(OCME(CF3)2)3(THF)3] AND [PR(OCME2(CF3))3]3

From the reaction of fluorinated alcohols R'OH [R' = (CF3)2CH, (CF3)Me2C or (CF3)2MeC] with metal tri-(bis-trimethylsilylamides) [M{N(SiMe3)2}3] (M = Sc, Y, La or Pr) in benzene, thf or diethyl ether, volatile compounds of formulae [M(OR')3(NH3)x] (x = 0-3), M(OR')3(thf)3 and M(OR')3(Et2O)x (x = 0.33 or 0.5) have been isolated. X-ray crystal structures were determined for [Sc2{OCH(CF3)2}6(NH3)4], [Pr2{OCMe (CF3)2}6(NH3)4], [Y{OCMe(CF3)2}3(thf)3], [La{OCMe(CF3)2}3(thf)3] and [Pr3{OCMe2 (CF3)2}9].