Half-sandwich complexes of lanthanides with tridentate ligands [RCH2CH(O)CH2OBun]2– (R = C5H4, 1-C9H6): synthesis, structures, and properties. The crystal structure of the complex {[(η5-C5H4)CH2CH(μ2:η1-O)CH2OBun]LaN(SiMe3)2}2

The oxirane-ring opening of butyl glycidyl ether with cyclopentadienylsodium or indenylsodium afforded cyclopentadienyl- and indenyl-substituted alcohols RHCH2CH(OH)CH2OBun (R = C5H4 (1) or 3-C9H6 (2), respectively), which were used as tridentate ligands. The reactions of these compounds with Ln[N(SiMe3)2]3 produced the lanthanide complexes {[(η5-R)CH2CH(μ2:η1-O)CH2OBun]LnN(SiMe3)2}2 (R = C5H4, Ln = La (3), Pr (4), Er (5), Lu (6); or R = 1-C9H6, Ln = La (7)). The coordination spheres of the metal atoms in these complexes involve simultaneously the η5-cyclopentadienyl (indenyl), bridging alkoxide, and terminal amide ligands. The complexes were characterized by microanalysis, IR and NMR spectroscopy, and magnetochemistry. The crystal and molecular structure of complex 3 was established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.