Synthesis and spectroscopic investigations of lanthanide(III) nitrate complexes with ligands obtained from 2,6-diformyl-4-methylphenol

Lanthanide(III)nitrate complexes, [M2L3(NO3)(2)]NO3. 3H(2)O (LH = hydrazones derived from 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol with acetyl, benzoyl, salicyloyl, m-nitrobenzoyl, p-anisoyl and p-chlorobenzoylhydrazides) have been synthesised and characterised using physico-chemical and spectral methods. The complexes have a stoichiometry of 2:3 (M:L) wherein three phenolic oxygen atoms are simultaneously coordinated to two metal atoms to form M-O-M bridges. Each metal atom exhibits a coordination number of ten. Thermal studies of the complexes have also been carried out.