Synthesis of LnII‐in‐Cryptand Complexes by Chemical Reduction of LnIII‐in‐Cryptand Precursors: Isolation of a NdII‐in‐Cryptand Complex

Lanthanide triflates have been used to incorporate NdIII and SmIII ions into the 2.2.2‐cryptand ligand (crypt) to explore their reductive chemistry. The Ln(OTf)3 complexes (Ln=Nd, Sm; OTf=SO3CF3) react with crypt in THF to form the THF‐soluble complexes [LnIII(crypt)(OTf)2][OTf] with two triflates bound to the metal encapsulated in the crypt. Reduction of these LnIII‐in‐crypt complexes using KC8 in THF forms the neutral LnII‐in‐crypt triflate complexes [LnII(crypt)(OTf)2]. DFT calculations on [NdII(crypt)]2+], the first NdII cryptand complex, assign a 4f4 electron configuration to this ion. The first THF‐soluble LnIII‐in‐cryptand complexes synthesized by using lanthanide triflates were chemically reduced using KC8 to generate a SmII‐in‐cryptand complex and the first neutral NdII‐in‐cryptand complex. Experimental and theoretical analysis assign the NdII ion a 4f4 electron configuration opposed to a 4f35d1 electron configuration.