Heterometallic Group 4-Lanthanide Oxo-alkoxide Precursors for Synthesis of Binary Oxide Nanomaterials.

In this study, an efficient procedure for the synthesis of uncommon group 4-lanthanide oxo-alkoxide derivatives was developed. Heterometallic clusters with the structures [La2Ti4(μ4-O)2(μ3-OEt)2(μ-OEt)8(OEt)6(Cl)2(HOEt)2] (1), [La2Zr2(μ3-O)(μ-OEt)5(μ-Cl)(OEt)2(HOEt)4(Cl)4]n (2), [La2Hf2(μ3-O)(μ-OEt)5(μ-Cl)(OEt)2(HOEt)4(Cl)4]n (3), [Nd2Ti4(μ4-O)2(μ3-OEt)2(μ-OEt)8(OEt)6(HOEt)2(Cl)2] (4), [Nd4Zr4(μ3-O)2(μ-OEt)10(μ-Cl)4(OEt)8(HOEt)10(Cl)2] (5), and [Nd4Hf4(μ3-O)2(μ-OEt)10(μ-Cl)4(OEt)8(HOEt)10(Cl)2] (6) were synthesized via the reaction of a metallocene dichloride, Cp2M'Cl2 (where M' = Ti, Zr, and Hf), and metallic lanthanum or neodymium in the presence of excess ethanol. This procedure gave crystalline precursors with molecular stoichiometries suitable for obtaining group 4-lanthanide oxide materials. Compounds 1-6 were examined by analytical and spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties of 5 and 6 were investigated by using direct and alternating current (dc and ac) susceptibility measurements. The results indicated weak antiferromagnetic interactions between NdIII ions and a field-supported slow magnetic relaxation. Lanthanum-titanium compound 1 decomposed at 950 °C to give the perovskite compound La0.66TiO3 and small amounts of rutile TiO2. Under the same conditions, 4 decomposed to give a mixture of Nd4Ti9O24 and Nd0.66TiO3. When 4 was calcined at 1300 °C, decomposition of Nd4Ti9O24 to Nd0.66TiO3 and TiO2 was observed. Calcination of 2, 3, 5, and 6 at 950-1500 °C led to the selective formation of heterometallic La2Zr2O7, La2Hf2O7, Nd2Zr2O7, and Nd2Hf2O7 phases, respectively.