COMPLEXES OF THE LANTHANIDES .4. ALKYL-SUBSTITUTED AND DONOR-SUBSTITUTED CYCLOPENTADIENYL COMPLEXES OF NEODYMIUM

Neodymium trichloride reacts with the potassium salt K(DoCH2CH2Cp) (2c, Do = OMe; 2d, Do = NMe2) of the functionalized cyclopentadienyls in THF to yield the sublimable homoleptic complexes Nd(DoCH2CH2CP)3 (3c, d). Under the same conditions, K(iBuCp) (2a) yields the adduct Nd(iBuCp)3(THF) (3a'), which is obtained free of THF by thermal treatment. The silylamide route is applied to synthesize the homoleptic neopentylcyclopentadienyl derivative Nd(NeopCp)3 (3b). The alkyl-substituted complexes, particularly the isobutyl derivative, show a remarkable volatility. The first solvent-free, monomeric complex of the type ''LnCp2Cl'', namely Nd(Me2NCH2CH2Cp)2Cl (4), is obtained from NdCl3 and two equivalents of 2d.