Structural characterization of a lanthanum bistriflimide complex, La(N(SO2CF3)2)3(H2O)3, and an investigation of La, Sm, and Eu electrochemistry in a room-temperature ionic liquid, [Me3N(n)Bu][N(SO2CF3)2]

Anand I Bhatt; Iain May; Vladimir A Volkovich; David Collison; Madeleine Helliwell; Ilya B Polovov; Robert G Lewin

doi:10.1021/ic048199u

Structural characterization of a lanthanum bistriflimide complex, La(N(SO2CF3)2)3(H2O)3, and an investigation of La, Sm, and Eu electrochemistry in a room-temperature ionic liquid, [Me3N(n)Bu][N(SO2CF3)2]

Inorg Chem. 2005 Jul 11;44(14):4934-40. doi: 10.1021/ic048199u.

Authors

Anand I Bhatt¹, Iain May, Vladimir A Volkovich, David Collison, Madeleine Helliwell, Ilya B Polovov, Robert G Lewin

Affiliation

¹ Centre for Radiochemistry Research, School of Chemistry, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL UK.

PMID: 15998020
DOI: 10.1021/ic048199u

Abstract

The reduction of selected lanthanide cations to the zerovalent state in the room-temperature ionic liquid [Me3N(n)Bu][TFSI] is reported (where TFSI = bistriflimide, [N(SO2CF3)2]-). The lanthanide cations were introduced to the melt as the TFSI hydrate complexes [Ln(TFSI)3(H2O)3] (where Ln = La(III), Sm(III) or Eu(III)). The lanthanum compound [La(TFSI)3(H2O)3] has been crystallographically characterized, revealing the first structurally characterized f-element TFSI complex. The lanthanide in all three complexes was shown to be reducible to the metallic state in [Me3N(n)Bu][TFSI]. For both the Eu and Sm complexes, reduction to the metallic state was achieved via divalent species, and there was an additional observation of the electrodeposition of Eu metal.