Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026

Preparation and Use of Carbonyl-decorated Carbenes in the Activation of White Phosphorus
Published on: October 3, 2014
Lanthanide(II) complexes of a phosphine-borane-stabilised carbanion
Keith Izod1, William Clegg, Ross W Harrington
1Main Group Chemistry Laboratories, School of Chemistry, Bedson Building, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK NE1 7RU. k.j.izod@ncl.ac.uk
Abstract:
The reaction between two equivalents of the potassium salt [(Me(3)Si)(2){Me(2)P(BH(3))}C]K (4) and SmI(2)(THF)(2) in refluxing THF yields the dialkylsamarium(II) compounds [(Me(3)Si)(2){Me(2)P(BH(3))}C](2)Sm(THF) (5a) or [(Me(3)Si)(2){Me(2)P(BH(3))}C](2)Sm(THF)(3) (5b), depending on the crystallisation conditions, in good yield as air- and moisture-sensitive crystalline solids. X-ray crystallography shows that, whereas both alkyl ligands chelate the samarium(II) ion in 5a, in 5b one alkyl ligand chelates the metal centre and one binds the metal only through its borane hydrogen atoms. The reaction between YbI(2) and two equivalents of 4 in refluxing benzene yields the solvent-free dialkylytterbium(II) compound [(Me(3)Si)(2){Me(2)P(BH(3))}C](2)Yb (8). In contrast to 5a and 5b, compound 8 reacts rapidly with THF to give the free phosphine-borane (Me(3)Si)(2){Me(2)P(BH(3))}CH as the only identifiable product.
More Related Videos
08:46Preparation and Reactivity of a Triphosphenium Bromide Salt: A Convenient and Stable Source of Phosphorus(I)
Published on: November 22, 2016
19:58Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
Related Concept Videos
Valence Bond Theory
Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect
Carbocations
Exceptions to the Octet Rule