Aggregation state and reducing power of the samarium diiodide–DMPU complex in acetonitrile

The aggregation state of SmI2 and the reducing power of SmI2 and its DMPU complex were investigated employing vapor pressure osmometry (VPO) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), respectively. The aggregation number for SmI2 in acetonitrile was found to be 1.03±0.07 over the entire concentration range studied indicating that SmI2 is monomeric. The CV study showed that DMPU enhances the reducing power of SmI2 in acetonitrile but that the resulting complex is not as powerful as the SmI2–HMPA complex in THF. The CV study also showed that solvent could alter the reducing power of SmI2.