Simple adducts of samarium and ytterbium diiodide: synthesis and molecular structures of LnI2(3,5-lutidine)4 (Ln = Sm, Yb) and YbI2(4-t-butylpyridine)4

Reaction of LnI(2) (Ln = Sm, Yb) with substituted pyridines in THF gives good yields of the highly coloured complexes [LnI(2)(py)(4)]. The structures of complexes [LnI(2)(3,5-lutidine)(4)] (Sm, Yb) and [YbI2(4-t-butylpyridine)(4)] have been determined by X-ray crystallography and show simple octahedral coordination about the metal centre with trans-iodide ligands. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.