Neodymium(III) phosphinidene complexes supported by pentamethylcyclopentadienyl and hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate ligands.

Synthesis of new neodymium(III) phosphinidene complexes from a neodymium(III) phosphinidene iodide [(mu-PC(6)H(3)-2,6-(i)Pr(2))Nd(I)(THF)(3)](2) (1) was studied. The metathesis reaction of 1 with KC(5)Me(5) (KCp*) gave a neodymium(III) pentamethylcyclopentadienyl phosphinidene complex [(mu-PC(6)H(3)-2,6-(i)Pr(2))(C(5)Me(5))Nd(THF)](2) (2), and that with potassium hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate KHB(3-phenylpz)(3) (KTp(Ph)) generated a neodymium(III) hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate phosphinidene complex [(mu-PC(6)H(3)-2,6-(i)Pr(2))(Tp(Ph*))Nd(THF)](2) (3) and a C-H bond activation byproduct [kappa(4)(N,N',N'',C(Ph))-Tp(Ph)]Tp(Ph)Nd (4). Complexes 2-4 have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.