Amido-stabilized rare-earth metal mixed methyl methylidene complexes

Donor(thf)-induced tetramethylaluminate cleavage of Ln(AlMe(4))(2)(NSiMe(3)Ar(iPr)) as well as the reaction of (LnMe(3))(n) (Ln = Y, Ho, Lu) with HNSiMe(3)Ar(iPr) in tetrahydrofuran affords unprecedented trinuclear rare-earth metal tetramethyl methylidene complexes which act as Schrock-type nucleophilic carbenes and methyl transfer agents.