Studies on organolanthanide complexes: XLIV. Synthesis of bis(2-methoxyethylcyclopentadienyl) divalent organolanthanides (Ln = Sm, Yb) and molecular structure of solvated (MeOCH2CH2C5H4)2Yb·OC4H8☆

Abstract Bis(2-methoxyethylcyclopentadienyl) divalent solvent-free organolanthanide complexes (MeOCH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 4 ) 2 SM ( 1 ) and (MeOCH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 4 ) 2 Yb ( 2 ) have been synthesized by the interaction of (MeOCH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 4 )K with LnI 2 (Ln = Sm, Yb). Recrystallization of 2 from THF produced the solvated single crystal (MeOCH 2 CH 2 C 5 H 4 ) 2 Yb·OC 4 H 8 ( 3 ) which has the coordination number of nine, the highest yet reported for this class of compound. The two ring centroids of the 2-methoxyethylcyclopentadienyl rings, the two oxygen atoms of ether-substituted groups on the rings and the oxygen atom of the THF form a distorted trigonal bipyramid around the central ion of ytterbium.