Syntheses, crystal structures, and properties of optically active Lu(III) and Yb(III) complexes of N,N-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-R-1,2-propanediamine with chloride or thiocyanate

The reaction of N,N-bis(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-R-1,2-propanediamine (R-bbppnH(2)) with LnCl(3).6H(2)O (Ln: Lu, Yb) stereoselectively gave an optically active complex, [LnCl(R-bbppn)], which crystallizes in the acentric space group of P2(1)2(1)2(1). The central lutetium(III) is coordinated by two oxygens from two phenolates, four nitrogens from two pyridines, and one bidentate propanediamine of R-bbppn(2-), one chloride to form a seven-coordinate distorted pentagonal bipyramidal geometry. Although two optical isomers, and , are possible for such a structure, the absolute configuration of the complex is stereoselectively unified to . The coordinated chloride of the complex is readily replaced by other ligands, and hence the reaction with thiocyanate results in formation of another seven-coordinate complex, [Ln(NCS)(R-bbppn)]. [GRAPHICS] .