Synthesis of diphenyl-(2-thienyl)phosphine, its chalcogenide derivatives and a series of novel complexes of lanthanide nitrates and triflates

Abstract

A novel synthesis of diphenyl(2-thienyl)phosphine, along with its’ oxide, sulfide and selenide derivatives, is reported here. These phosphines have been characterized by NMR, IR, MS and X-Ray crystallography. The phosphine oxide derivative was reacted with a selection of lanthanide(III) nitrates and triflates, LnX₃, to give the resultant metal–ligand complexes. These complexes have also been characterized by NMR, IR, MS and X-Ray crystallography. Single crystal X-Ray diffraction data shows a difference in metal–ligand complex stoichiometry and stereochemistry depending on the counteranion (nitrate vs. triflate). The [Ln(Ar₃PO)₃(NO₃)₃] ligand–nitrate complexes are nine-coordinate to the metal in the solid state (bidentate nitrate), featuring a 1 : 3 lanthanide–ligand ratio and bear an overall octahedral arrangement of the six, coordinated ligands. Our [Ln(Ar₃PO)₃(NO₃)₃] ligand–nitrate complexes gave three examples of fac-stereochemistry, where mer-stereochemistry is almost universally observed in the literature of highly related [Ln(Ar₃PO)₃(NO₃)₃] complexes. For the Tb complexes, two different arrangements of the ligands around the metal were observed in the solid state for [Tb(Ar₃PO)₃(NO₃)₃] and [Tb(Ar₃PO)₄(OTf)₂] [OTf]. [Tb(Ar₃PO)₃(NO₃)₃] is strictly nine-coordinate, ligand mer-stereochemistry in the solid state, and [Tb(Ar₃PO)₄(OTf)₂] [OTf] is strictly octahedral, six-coordinate, with a square-planar stereochemical arrangement of the phosphine oxide ligands around the metal.