Europium and ytterbium complexes with o-iminoquinonato ligands: synthesis, structure, and magnetic behavior

Complexes of divalent ytterbium (1) and europium (2) with a dianionic o-amidophenolate ligand were prepared by both the direct reduction of 4,6-di-tert-butyl-N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-o-iminobenzoquinone (dpp-IQ) and the salt metathesis reaction of potassium o-amidophenolate with LnI2 (Ln = Yb, Eu). Oxidation of o-amidophenolates 1, 2 with one equivalent of dpp-IQ as well as the salt metathesis reaction of potassium o-iminosemiquinolate with LnI2 afforded ligand mixed-valent o-iminosemiquinonato-amidophenolato complexes of trivalent ytterbium (3) and europium (4). All novel complexes 1-4 were fully characterized, including the solid state structures of 1 and 2 determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The magnetic properties of paramagnetic 2-4 were examined.