Samarium(III) compounds supported by the hydrotris(3,5-dimethyl-pyrazolyl)borate ligand: synthetic utility of the putative, reduction prone Sm(III)-hydrocarbyls, ‘(TpMe2)2SmR’

Addition of a stoichiometric amount of KR (R=CH2C6H4-o-NMe2, C6H4-o-CH2NMe2, CH2C6H5) to a solution of Sm(TpMe2)2Cl in toluene or THF led to the immediate formation of the insoluble, purple Sm(TpMe2)2 compound. However, when these reactions are carried out in the presence of protic substrates such as HOPh, HCp, HCCPh, HOC6H2-2,4,6-tBu3, HNPh2 and 3,5-Me2pzH, the corresponding Sm(TpMe2)2(Y) compounds (Y=OPh (1), CCPh (2), Cp (3), OC6H2-2,4,6-tBu3 (4), NPh2 (5), 3,5-Me2pz (6)) readily form and in good yields. The structures of 4–6 have been established by X-ray crystallography.