Lanthanide-potassium wheels

Mixed potassium-lanthanide wheel-shaped-structured, hexanuclear coordination oligomers of composition [(eta(5)-C5H5)Ln(NPh2)2-{N(PPh2)(2)}(2)K-2(THF)(4)](2) (Ln = Er (1a), Yb (1b)) and an octanuclear coordination polymer of composition [(eta(5)-C5H5)Sm(NPh2)(2){N(PPh2)(2)}K](infinity) (2) were synthesized. All presented compounds can be obtained in moderate yields in a one-pot procedure, in which the potassium salts KNPh2 and [K(THF)(n)N(PPh2)2] as well as NaC5H5 are reacted with anhydrous samarium, erbium, and ytterbium trichloride in THF.