Synthesis, crystal structure and physico-chemical studies of neodymium tris[diphenyl(3-thienyl)methoxide]

Treatment of diphenyl(3-thienyl)methanol HO―C(C16H13S) (1) with neodymium amide Nd[N(SiMe3)2]3 leads to Nd[OC(C16H13S)]3(thf)3} • thf (2). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 2 reveals a mononuclear compound with an approximately octahedral geometry around the neodymium metal centre. The electrochemical investigations show that the cyclic voltammograms of 1 and 2 are only dominated by the oxidation of the thiophene moieties. Luminescence studies performed on 2 reveal the typical f–f transitions of the NdIII ion and exhibit an energy transfer from the ligand to the lanthanide ion.