CYCLOPENTADIENYL-FREE ORGANOLANTHANIDE CHEMISTRY

During the past ten years the organometallic chemistry of the lanthanides has witnessed enormous growth. One of the main reasons for this development was the finding that lanthanide metallocenes can exhibit an unusually high catalytic activity. Considerable advances have also been achieved in the chemistry of organolanthanide complexes that are not stabilized by cyclopentadienyl ligands. For example, the successful synthesis of the first unsolvated homoleptic trialkyllanthanides, [Ln{CH(SiMe3)2}3], has recently been reported. Anionic allyl complexes of the lanthanides show promising catalytic properties and cyclooctatetraene complexes of these elements are also under active investigation. This review is intended to provide an overview of this rapidly developing area of research. Copyright © 1995 by VCH Verlagsgesellschaft mbH, Germany