Synthesis of diphenylmethylene bridged fluorenyl cyclopentadienyl lanthanocene complexes with Cs symmetry and crystal structures of the ate complexes [Li(thf )4][LnCl2{(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] and [Li(thf )4][Ln(BH4)2{(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] (Ln = Nd or La)

The reaction of anhydrous lanthanide chlorides LnCl3 with the dilithium salt of (C13H9)CPh2(C5H5) in thf at ambient temperature led to the formation of the ‘ate’ complexes [Li(thf)4][LnCl2{(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] (Ln = Lu 1 or Y 2). Treatment of [Ln(BH4)3(thf)3] with 3 equivalents of (C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)Li2 in thf solution gave the anionic complexes [Li(thf)4][Ln(BH4)2{(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] (Ln = La 3 or Nd 4). The crystal structures of complexes 1, 3, 4 were determined and indicated that they existed as discrete cation and anion pairs, which showed two crystallographically independent molecules in the unit cell.