The synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of Cp-2*Yb(3,3'-Me(2)bipy) and [Cp-2 Yb(3,3'-Me(2)bipy)][Cp-2 YbCl1.6I0.4]center dot CH2Cl2 are described. In both complexes, the NCCN torsion angles are approximately 40 degrees. The temperature-independent value of n(f) of 0.17 shows that the valence of ytterbium in the neutral adduct is multiconfigurational, in reasonable agreement with a CASSCF calculation that yields a n(f) value of 0.27; that is, the two configurations in the wave function are f(13)(pi(1))(1) and f(14)(pi(1))(0) in a ratio of 0.27:0.73, respectively, and the open-shell singlet lies 0.28 eV below the triplet state (n(f) accounts for f-hole occupancy; that is, n(f) = 1 when the configuration is f(13) and n(f) = 0 when the configuration is f(14)). A correlation is outlined between the value of nf and the individual ytterbocene and bipyridine fragments such that, as the reduction potentials of the ytterbocene cation and the free x,x'-R-2-bipy ligandsapproach each other, the value of nf and therefore the f(13):f(14) ratio reaches a maximum; conversely, the ratio is minimized as the disparity increases.

The electronic structure and associated magnetic properties of the 1,10-phenanthroline adducts of Cp*2Yb are dramatically different from those of the 2,2?-bipyridine adducts. The monomeric phenanthroline adducts are ground state triplets that are based upon trivalent Yb(III), f13, and (phen ) that are only weakly exchange coupled, which is in contrast to the bipyridine adducts whose ground states are multiconfigurational, open-shell singlets in which ytterbium is intermediate valent ( J. Am. Chem. Soc 2009, 131, 6480; J. Am. Chem. Soc 2010, 132, 17537). The origin of these different physical properties is traced to the number and symmetry of the LUMO and LUMO+1 of the heterocyclic diimine ligands. The bipy has only one 1 orbital of b1 symmetry of accessible energy, but phen has two orbitals of b1 and a2 symmetry that are energetically accessible. The carbon p-orbitals have different nodal properties and coefficients and their energies, and therefore their populationschange depending on the position and number of methyl substitutions on the ring. A chemical ramification of the change in electronic structure is that Cp 2Yb(phen) is a dimer when crystallized from toluene solution, but a monomer when sublimed at 180190 C. When 3,8-Me2phenanthroline is used, the adduct Cp*2Yb(3,8-Me2phen) exists in the solution in a dimer monomer equilibrium in which G is near zero. The adducts with 3-Me, 4-Me, 5-Me, 3,8-Me2, and 5,6-Me2-phenanthroline are isolated and characterized by solid state X-ray crystallography, magnetic susceptibility and LIII-edge XANES spectroscopy as a function of temperature and variable-temperature 1H NMR spectroscopy.

Page 7295. In the Summary section of the article, the text should read "The energy of the closed-shell singlet that corresponds to the traditional Lewis structures used to represent these molecules is 400-700 cm-1 above the openshell triplet and singlet." instead of "The energy of the openshell singlet that corresponds to the traditional Lewis structures used to represent these molecules is 400-700 cm-1 above the open-shell triplet."

Reaction of the neutral diniobium benzene complex {[Nb(BDI)N ^t Bu]₂(μ-C₆H₆)} (BDI = N,N'-diisopropylbenzene-β-diketiminate) with Ag[B(C₆F₅)₄] results in a single electron oxidation to produce a cationic diniobium arene complex, {[Nb(BDI)N ^t Bu]₂(μ-C₆H₆)}{B(C₆F₅)₄}. Investigation of the solid state and solution phase structure using single-crystal X-ray diffraction, cyclic voltammetry, magnetic susceptibility, and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy indicates that the oxidation results in an asymmetric molecule with two chemically inequivalent Nb atoms. Further characterization using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, UV-visible, Nb L_3,2-edge X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES), and EPR spectroscopies supports assignment of a diniobium complex, in which one Nb atom carries a single unpaired electron that is not largely delocalized on the second Nb atom. During the oxidative transformation, one electron is removed from the δ-bonding HOMO, which causes a destabilization of the molecule and formation of an asymmetric product. Subsequent reactivity studies indicate that the oxidized product allows access to metal-based chemistry with substrates that did not exhibit reactivity with the starting neutral complex.

Sandwich complexes of lanthanides have recently attracted a considerable amount of interest due to their applications as Single Molecule Magnet (SMM). Herein, a comprehensive series of heteroleptic lanthanide sandwich complexes ligated by the cyclononatetraenyl (Cnt) and the cyclooctatetraenyl (Cot) ligand [Ln(Cot)(Cnt)] (Ln=Tb, Dy, Er, Ho, Yb, and Lu) is reported. The coordination behavior of the Cnt ligand has been investigated along the series and shows different coordination patterns in the solid-state depending on the size of the corresponding lanthanide ion without altering its overall anisotropy. Besides the characterization in the solid state by single-crystal X-ray diffraction and in solution by 1 H NMR, static magnetic studies and ab initio computational studies were performed.