Synthesis and Reactivity of Homoleptic α-Metalated N,N-Dimethylbenzylamine Rare-Earth-Metal Complexes

A series of new homoleptic rare-earth-metal complexes as synthesized using salt metathesis reactions between LnCl(3) and alpha-K(DMBA) (Ln = La (1), Ce (2), Pr (3), Nd (4), Sm (5), Gd (6), Y (7); DMBA = N,N-dimethylbenzylamine). All seven complexes were found to be free of coordinating solvent, and no formation of any -ate species was observed. The ligands in complexes 1-7 displayed eta(4) coordination to the metal center. Subsequently, the reactivity of 1 and 7 was investigated via various protonolysis reactions using silylamines, anilines, and phenols to generate a diverse array of other homoleptic lanthanide complexes.