meso-Phenyltetrabenzotriazaporphyrin based double-decker lanthanide(III) complexes: synthesis, structure, spectral properties and electrochemistry

A series of half-sandwich and sandwich-type lanthanide(III) complexes have been prepared using tetrabenzotriazaporphyrin ligands. Reaction of 27-phenyl-29H,31H-tetrabenzo[b,g,l,q][5,10,15]-triazaporphyrin (PhTBTAPH2, 1) with salts [LnX3]·nH2O (Ln = Eu (a), Lu (b); X = OAc, acac) afforded the single- and homoleptic double-deckers (PhTBTAP)LnOAc (2) and (PhTBTAP)2Ln (3) respectively. Heteroleptic double-decker compounds (PhTBTAP)LnPc (4a,b) were obtained upon interaction of 1 with the corresponding Ln mono(phthalocyaninates). An unexpected formation of partially and completely dephenylated co-products 5 and 6 has been detected in the synthesis of sandwich 3, while the possibility of the dearylation of the half-sandwich compound 2 has been demonstrated as well. A more predictable yet firstly observed formation of the triple-decker compound (PhTBTAP)3Eu2 (7) has also been found. Structural studies of 3 supported by 1H NMR spectra, XRD analysis and DFT theoretical calculations reveal that the Eu complex 3a is formed as a single isomer, while the lutetium compound 3b represents an inseparable mixture of two rotational isomers with virtually identical spectral characteristics. The double-decker compounds 3 and 4 reveal intrinsic UV-Vis/NIR absorption as well as peculiar electrochromic behavior. The heteroleptic derivatives 4 generally show intermediate spectral and electrochemical properties with respect to their homoleptic relatives.