Unexpected C-F activation during redox transmetallation with silver N,N′-bis(2,6-difluorophenyl)formamidinate

The trivalent lanthanoid formamidinates, [Yb-2(DFForm)(4)F-2(py)(2)]center dot CH3CN (1) (DFForm=N,N'-bis(2,6-difluorophenyl)formamidinate), and [La-6(DFForm)(8)F8O(CH3CN)(2)]center dot 6CH(3)CN (2) have been prepared from redox transmetallation (RT) reactions employing lanthanoid metals and silver formamidinate (AgDFForm) in CH3CN. C-F activation was observed in both reactions. The structure of 1 is a fluorine bridged dimer with two seven-coordinate ytterbium metal ions. Surprisingly the lanthanum complex is a trivalent cage with an unexpected central oxygen atom. [La-6(DFForm)(8)F8O(CH3CN)(2)]center dot 6CH(3)CN (2) formed a 15 membered ring cage of six La atoms, eight F and one O at the centre. There are three different La3+ ions in 2 with two different coordination numbers. All the La atoms are coordinated by four bridging fluorides and the central oxygen.

Automated summary

In this study, two new trivalent lanthanoid compounds were prepared using redox transmetallation reactions, and the C-F activation property was observed. Compound 1 is a fluorine bridged dimer with two seven-coordinate ytterbium metal ions, while compound 2 is a cage-like structure consisting of six lanthanum atoms, eight fluorine atoms, and one oxygen atom.