Reactivity of lanthanide metal vapor with unsaturated hydrocarbons, reactions with ethene, propene, and 1,2-propadiene

The reactions of ytterbium, samarium, and erbium metal vapor with ethene, propene, and 1,2-propadiene have been investigated by cocondensation of the metals with these hydrocarbons at 77 K followed by isolation and physical and chemical characterization of the organolanthanide products at room temperature. A variety of reaction pathways are traversed in these systems. Evidence for lanthanide metal insertion into C-H bonds, cleavage of carbon-carbon multiple bonds, homologation, oligomerization, and dehydrogenation is observed with these small hydrocarbon substrates. Cyclopropane is similarly highy reactive with erbium metal vapor