Rare-Earth Cyclobutadienyl Sandwich Complexes: Synthesis, Structure and Dynamic Magnetic Properties.

The potassium cyclobutadienyl [K2 {η4 -C4 (SiMe3 )4 }] (1) reacts with MCl3 (THF)3.5 (M=Y, Dy) to give the first rare-earth cyclobutadienyl complexes, that is, the complex anions [M{η4 -C4 (SiMe3 )4 }{η4 -C4 (SiMe3 )3 -κ-(CH2 SiMe2 }]2- , (2M ), as their dipotassium salts. The tuck-in alkyl ligand in 2M is thought to form through deprotonation of the "squarocene" complexes [M{η4 -C4 (SiMe3 )4 }2 ]- by 1. Complex 2Dy is a single-molecule magnet, but with prominent quantum tunneling. An anisotropy barrier of 323(22) cm-1 was determined for 2Dy in an applied field of 1 kOe, and magnetic hysteresis loops were observed up to 7 K.