O2activation and hydrolysis of Salan rare-earth metal alkyl complexes

Abstract

Salan ligated yttrium alkyl complex 1, L¹Y(CH₂SiMe₃)(THF) (Salan = L¹: [2-O-3,5-tBu₂-C₆H₂CH₂N(CH₃)CH₂]₂), was exposed to an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere to give a bimetallic alkoxide complex 4, [L¹Y(μ-OCH₂SiMe₃)]₂. Whilst the lutetium counterparts 2 (L¹Lu(CH₂SiMe₃)(THF)) and 3 (L²Lu(CH₂SiMe₃)(THF); L²: [2-O-3-tBu-C₆H₂CH₂N(CH₃)CH₂]₂) were hydrolysed with moist nitrogen to afford mixed hydroxy/silyloxy complexes 5 and 6 ([L^1,2Lu(μ-OSiMe₃)(μ-OH)LuL^1,2]), respectively.