Lanthanide complexes with O2PH2?, O2P(CH2Cl)2? and O2P(CH2OH)2? ligands: a solid-state tubular micelle

Abstract

Attempts were made to synthesise lanthanide complexes of phosphorus-based ligands so as to incorporate channels which might act as hosts for small molecules; the sharing of ligands in La(O₂P(CH₂Cl)₂)₃(OP(OH)(CH₂Cl)₂) is between adjacent metals, resulting in a linear stacking arrangement rather than a lattice. Pr(O₂P(CH₂OH)₂)₃ crystallises into a highly H-bonded lattice, in which the methylene groups are spontaneously directed so as to line channels oriented along one of the crystal axes in a fashion reminiscent of solution micelles. These channels are, however, apparently too small to accommodate aliphatic hydrocarbons. The structure of Ho(O₂PH₂)₃, which is the same as that of its prototypal Dy analogue, is also pictured and described