Synthetic and Structural Studies of the Cyclopentadienyl-Free Yttrium Alkyl Alkoxide and Aryloxide Complexes [(Me3Si)2CH]2Y(μ-OCMe3)2Li(THF) and [Me3SiCH2]2Y(OC6H3tBu2-2,6)(THF)2

Abstract

YCl3 reacts with 2 equiv of LiCH(SiMe3)2 and 2 equiv of LiOCMe3 in THF to form the dialkyl dialkoxide complex [(Me3Si)2CH]2Y(μ-OCMe3)2Li(THF), 1. The yttrium in 1 is surrounded by a distorted tetrahedral arrangement of two terminal alkyl groups and two bridging alkoxide groups, and the coordination around lithium is trigonal planar. The reaction of YCl3 with 2 equiv of LiCH2SiMe3 and 1 equiv of LiOC6H3tBu2-2,6 in THF forms the neutral dialkyl aryloxide complex (Me3SiCH2)2Y(OC6H3tBu2-2,6)(THF)2, 2. The coordination geometry around yttrium in 2 is a distorted trigonal bipyramid with the THF groups in the apical positions.