Isomorphous rare-earth bis[bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)phosphate] complexes and their self-assembly into...

The crystal structures of rare-earth diaryl- or dialkylphosphate derivatives are poorly explored. Crystals of bis[bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)phosphato-κO]chloridotetrakis(methanol-κO)neodymium methanol disolvate, [Nd(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)Cl(CH₄O)₄]·2CH₃OH, (1), and of the lutetium, [Lu(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)Cl(CH₄O)₄]·2CH₃OH, (2), and yttrium, [Y(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)Cl(CH₄O)₄]·2CH₃OH, (3), analogues have been obtained by reactions between lithium bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)phosphate and LnCl₃(H₂O)₆ (in a 2:1 ratio) in methanol. Compounds (1)-(3) crystallize in the C2/c space group. Their crystal structures are isomorphous. The molecule possesses C₂ symmetry with a twofold crystallographic axis passing through the Ln and Cl atoms. The bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)phosphate ligands all display a κ¹O-monodentate coordination mode. The coordination polyhedron for the metal atom [coordination number (CN) = 7] is a distorted pentagonal bipyramid. Each [Ln{O₂P(O-2,6-ⁱPr₂C₆H₃)₂}₂Cl(CH₃OH)₄] molecular unit exhibits two intramolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds, forming six-membered rings, and two intramolecular O-H...Cl interactions, forming four-membered rings. Intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds connect each unit via four noncoordinating methanol molecules with four other units, forming a two-dimensional hydrogen-bond network. Crystals of bis[bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)phosphato-κO]tetrakis(methanol-κO)(nitrato-κ²O,O')neodymium methanol disolvate, [Nd(C₂₄H₃₄O₄P)(NO₃)(CH₄O)₄]·2CH₃OH, (4), have been obtained in an analogous manner from NdCl₃(H₂O)₆. Compound (4) also crystalizes in the C2/c space group. Its crystal structure is similar to those of (1)-(3). The κ²O,O'-bidentate nitrate anion is disordered over a twofold axis, being located nearly on it. Half of the molecule is crystallographically unique (CN_Nd = 8). Unlike (1)-(3), complex (4) exhibits disorder of all three methanol molecules, one isopropyl group of the phosphate ligand and the NO₃^- ligand. The structure of (4) displays intra- and intermolecular O-H...O hydrogen bonds similar to those in (1)-(3). Compounds (1)-(4) represent the first reported mononuclear bis[bis(diaryl/dialkyl)phosphate] rare-earth complexes.