Rare-earth metal complexes stabilized by amino-phosphine ligand. Reaction with mesityl azide and catalysis of the cycloaddition of organic azides and aromatic alkynes.

Stoichiometric reactions between mesityl azide (MesN3, Mes = 2,4,6-C6H2Me3) and amino-phosphine ligated rare-earth metal alkyl, LLn(CH2SiMe3)2(THF) (L = (2,6-C6H3Me2)NCH2C6H4P(C6H5)2; Ln = Lu (1a), Sc (1b)), amide, LLu(NH(2,6-C6H3iPr2))2(THF) (2) and acetylide at room temperature gave the amino-phosphazide ligated rare-earth metal bis(triazenyl) complexes, [L(MesN3)]Ln[(MesN3)(CH2SiMe3)]2 (Ln = Lu (3a); Sc (3b)), bis(amido) complex [L(MesN3)]Lu[NH(2,6-C6H3iPr2)]2 (4), and bis(alkynyl) complex (5) (L(MesN3)Lu (C[triple bond, length as m-dash]CPh)2)2, respectively. The triazenyl group in coordinates to the metal ion in a rare eta2-mode via N(beta) and N(gamma) atoms, generating a triangular metallocycle. The amino-phosphazide ligand, L(MesN3), in , and chelates to the metal ion in a eta3-mode via N(alpha) and N(gamma) atoms. In the presence of excess phenylacetylene, complex isomerized to , where the triazenyl group coordinates to the metal ion in a eta3 mode via N(alpha) and N(gamma) atoms. Complexes , , and have shown an unprecedented catalytic activity towards the cycloaddition of organic azides and aromatic alkynes to afford 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles selectively.