Electron-donating alkoxy-group-driven synthesis of heteroleptic tris(phthalocyaninato) lanthanide(III) triple-deckers with symmetrical molecular structure.

Reaction of heteroleptic bis(phthalocyaninato) lanthanide compounds [(Pc)M{Pc(OC8H17)8}] [H2Pc=unsubstituted phthalocyanine; H2Pc(OC8H17)8 = 2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyanine] with monomeric complexes [(Pc)M(acac)] (Hacac=acetylacetone), both of which generated in situ, led to the isolation of heteroleptic phthalocyaninato-[2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octakis(octyloxy)phthalocyaninato] lanthainde(III) triple-decker complexes [(Pc)M{Pc(OC8H17)8}] (M=Gd-Lu) (1-8) as the sole product. Heterodinuclear analogues [(Pc)Lu{Pc(OC8H17)8}M(Pc)] (M=Gd-Yb) (9-15) were obtained in a similar manner from the reaction of [(Pc)M{Pc(OC8H17)8}] (M=Gd-Yb) and [(Pc)Lu(acac)]. The molecular structures of the herterodinuclear compound [(Pc)Lu{Pc(OC8H17)8}Er(Pc)] (13) and its homodinuclear counterparts [(Pc)M{Pc(OC8H17)8}M(Pc)] (M=Er, Lu) (5, 8) have been determined by X-ray diffraction analysis; these structures exhibit a symmetrical molecular structure with one inner planar Pc(OC8H17)8 ligand and two outer domed Pc ligands. In addition to various spectroscopic analyses, the electrochemistry of these compounds has also been studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) methods, revealing the gradually enhanced pi-pi interactions among the phthalocyanine rings in the triple-deckers along with the lanthanide contraction.