Group 4 Metal and Lanthanide Complexes in the Oxidation State +3 with Tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl Ligands.

A number of paramagnetic silylated d1 group 4 metallates were prepared by reaction of potassium tris(trimethylsilyl)silanide with group 4 metallates of the type K[Cp2MCl2] (M = Ti, Zr, Hf). The outcomes of the reactions differ for all three metals. While for the hafnium case the expected complex [Cp2Hf{Si(SiMe3)3}2]- was obtained, the analogous titanium reaction led to a product with two Si(H)(SiMe3)2 ligands. The reaction with zirconium caused the formation of a dinuclear fulvalene bridged complex. The desired [Cp2Zr{Si(SiMe3)3}2]- could be obtained by reduction of Cp2Zr{Si(SiMe3)3}2 with potassium. In related reactions of potassium tris(trimethylsilyl)silanide with some lanthanidocenes Cp3Ln (Ln = Ce, Sm, Gd, Ho, Tm) complexes of the type [Cp3Ln Si(SiMe3)3]- with either [18-crown-6·K]+ or the complex ion [18-crown-6·K·Cp·K·18-crown-6] as counterions were obtained. Due to d1 or fn electron configuration, unambiguous characterization of all obtained complexes could only be achieved by single crystal XRD diffraction analysis.