A Surprising Solvent Effect on the Crystal Structure of an Anionic Lanthanide Sandwich Complex

An unusual solvent effect on the crystallization of an anionic lanthanide sandwich complex has been discovered, demonstrating how small changes can make big differences when crystallizing organometallic compounds. Crystallization of Li(DME)Tb(COT′′)2 (1) from toluene leads to the formation of supramolecular [Li(DME)Tb(COT′′)2]n (1a), while monomeric Li(DME)Tb(COT′′)2 (1b) is formed upon crystallization from pentane, which is intercalated in the crystal structure of the latter.