Inorganic Chemistry Communications
Formation and catalytic activity of novel water soluble di
[ethylenediaminetetraacetato bis(N-oxido)] lanthanides
⁎
Xue Jiang, Mao-Long Chen, Yu-Chen Yang, Zhao-Hui Zhou
State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China
a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Reaction of hydrogen peroxide with ethylenediaminetetraacetato lanthanides results in the formation of water-
soluble isomorphous N-oxido ethylenediaminetetraacetato lanthanides K5[Ln(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O [Ln = La (1),
Ce (2), Nd (3), H4edta = ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid C10H16O8N2] in weak basic solution, where lanthanide
ions are octa-coordinated by two quardentate N-oxido edta ligands, resulting in a distorted anti-tetragonal prism.
Based on the comparisons of solid and solution 13C NMR spectra, these compounds are fully dissociated in solution.
Catalytic reaction of K5[La(edtaO2)2]·12H2O shows 96% conversion for the reaction of pyridine to pyridine N-oxide
at 70 °C.
Received 11 April 2013
Accepted 9 May 2013
Available online 15 May 2013
Keywords:
Lanthanide
Ethylenediaminetetraacetate
N-oxide
© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
Hydrogen peroxide
Catalysis
Peroxo lanthanides are the major species of lanthanide in neutral
solution with hydrogen peroxide [1]. They are important in the pro-
cess of catalytic reaction with rare earth oxide like hydroxylations of
benzene and selective oxidation of low alkane [2–4]. When hydrogen
peroxide exists, lanthanides are suggested to form peroxo lanthanides.
Several factors such as molar ratio of Ln: H2O2, acidity, solvent, ligand
and temperature have been found to affect the formation of peroxo
lanthanides. However, more details of isolation of the peroxo lanthanides
are limited. Only a well-defined side-on-bonded superoxo Sm(η2-O2)
is reported [5]. There are also a few lanthanide complexes containing
μ-η2:η2-peroxo group bridged with heteroligand environments [6–14].
The conversions are unknown for the peroxo group. This is probably
due to the instability of the system and the slow formation of the anions.
Moreover, photoinduced formation of lanthanide peroxide has been
discovered by the laser excitation on the Ln2O3 surface under oxygen at-
mosphere [15]. Here we have succeeded in the isolations of N-oxido edta
lanthanides in presence of excess hydrogen peroxide and edta lantha-
nides K[Ln(edta)(H2O)3] · 5H2O (Ln = La, Ce, and Nd). The later have
been also used as starting materials for the preparation of dimeric lan-
thanide citrate and malate with edta in our previous report [16]. An
interesting addition of peroxo group into less soluble edta lanthanides
forms water-soluble di-[ethylenediaminetetraacetato bis(N-oxido)]
lanthanides K5[Ln(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O, which serves as the reaction
products of Ln(η2-O2) with edta. The syntheses, infrared and 13C NMR
spectra, and structural characterizations of the three novel lanthanides
K5[Ln(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O [Ln = La (1), Ce (2), Nd (3)] are reported,
where K5[La(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O was used as catalyst for the conversion
pyridine to pyridine N-oxide.
Unlike direct reaction between metal salt with N-oxide ligand
[19–22], edta lanthanide K[Ln(edta)(H2O)3] · 5H2O and hydrogen
peroxide were used as reactants for the preparations of N-oxido edta lan-
thanides K5[Ln(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O in aqueous solution at pH 7.0 ~ 9.0
[17,18]. Under an optimal condition of pH 8, K5[Ln(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O
can be obtained in yields of 53% (La), 55% (Ce), and 69% (Nd) respectively.
The molar ratio of K[Ln(edta)(H2O)3] · 5H2O: H2O2 was maintained in 1:
5. Syntheses and conversions of the peroxo lanthanides are depicted in
Scheme 1. pH control and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide are
critical for the formation of N-oxido lanthanides.
Crystal structures of K5[Ln(edtaO2)2] · 12H2O consist of di-
[ethylenediaminetetraacetato bis(N-oxido)] lanthanide anions,
potassium cations, and lattice water molecules. The anion structure
of 1 was shown in Fig. 1. Those of 2 and 3 were shown in Figs. S1
and S2. Each lanthanide cation is octa-coordinated by two edtaO2
ligands and displays as a distorted anti-tetragonal prism as shown
in Fig. 2. Each N-oxido edta coordinates to lanthanide cation with
two N-oxide atoms and two carboxy groups.
Selected bond distances of the title compounds are listed in Table 1.
In monomer 1, the Ln\O bond distances are between 2.427(3) and
2.537(3) Å, where La\O bonds of carboxy groups are longer [La1\O1,
2.537(3); La1\O5, 2.486(3); La1\O11, 2.515(4); La1\O15, 2.500(4)
Å] than those of N-oxide [La1\O9, 2.427(3); La1\O10, 2.484(3);
La1\O19, 2.500(3); La1\O20, 2.445(3) Å]. The similar results can be
found in compounds 2 and 3. It is worth noting that, for all three com-
plexes, the N\O bond distances (N-oxide) range from 1.396(5) to
1.411(5) Å with a mean value of 1.402(5) Å. This is similar to the N\O
⁎
Corresponding author. Tel.: +86 592 2184531; fax: +86 592 2183047.
1387-7003/$ – see front matter © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.