Homometallic rare-Earth metal phosphinidene clusters: synthesis and reactivity

Two new trinuclear μ3 -bridged rare-earth metal phosphinidene complexes, [{L(Ln)(μ-Me)}3 (μ3 -Me)(μ3 -PPh)] (L=[PhC(NC6 H4 iPr2 -2,6)2 ](-) , Ln=Y (2 a), Lu (2 b)), were synthesized through methane elimination of the corresponding carbene precursors with phenylphosphine. Heating a toluene solution of 2 at 120 °C leads to an unprecedented ortho CH bond activation of the PhP ligand to form the bridged phosphinidene/phenyl complexes. Reactions of 2 with ketones, thione, or isothiocyanate show clear phospha-Wittig chemistry, giving the corresponding organic phosphinidenation products and oxide (sulfide) complexes. Reaction of 2 with CS2 leads to the formation of novel trinuclear rare-earth metal thione dianion clusters, for which a possible pathway was determined by DFT calculation.