First lanthanide complexes and unusual coordination behavior of hexakis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)cyclotriphosphazene

Abstract

Reaction of hexakis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)cyclotriphosphazene (L) with LnCl₃ (Ln = La, Ce, Nd, Sm) affords new mononuclear lanthanophosphazenes [L·LnCl₃] with hendecahedral coordination polyhedron in which the ligand L employs an unprecedented κ⁵N binding core consisting of one cyclotriphosphazene ring nitrogen atom and four pyridinic nitrogen atoms of two sets of geminal pyrazolyl groups.