Synthesis of diphenylmethylene bridged fluorenyl cyclopentadienyl lanthanocene complexes with C-s symmetry and crystal structures of the ate complexes [Li(thf)(4)][LnCl(2){(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] and [Li(thf)(4)][Ln(BH4)(2){(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] (Ln = Nd or La)

The reaction of anhydrous lanthanide chlorides LnCl(3) with the dilithium s alt of (C13H9)CPh2(C5H5) in thf at ambient temperature led to the formation of the 'ate' complexes [Li(thf)(4)][LnCl(2){(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] (Ln = Lu 1 or Y 2). Treatment of [Ln(BH4)(3)(thf)(3)] with 3 equivalents of (C13H8)CP h2(C5H4)Li-2 in thf solution gave the anionic complexes [Li(thf)(4)][Ln(BH4 )(2){(C13H8)CPh2(C5H4)}] (Ln = La 3 or Nd 4). The crystal structures of com plexes 1, 3, 4 were determined and indicated that they existed as discrete cation and anion pairs, which showed two crystallographically independent m olecules in the unit cell.