Cerium tetra-alkoxides

The methoxides and ethoxides of lanthanoids are insoluble solids. The derivatives of phenols and higher alcohols are amorphous or crystalline substances soluble in common organic solvents. Some of them (isopropoxides, tert-butoxides and derivatives of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenols) are sublimed in vacuum at 190-250 C. The cerium tetra-alkoxides with tertiary-radicals appear to be distillable liquids. The mixed alkoxide of lanthanum La(0C3H7-i)2(0CH2C4H70) containing the residue of tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol OCH2C4H7O and the isopropoxy groups remains liquid at room temperature [14]. 

In search of a convenient method for the synthesis of tetra-alkoxides of cerium(iv) and plutonium(iv), which do not form stable chlorides, the complex chlorides (C5H6N)2MCl6 (M = Ce(iv), Pu(iv) CsHeN = pyridinium) method proved to be convenient starting materials ... 

During an attempt to prepare tetra-/ert-alkoxides of zirconium and cerium by the reactions of (C5H6N)2MCl6 (M = Zr, Ce) with terf-butyl alcohol, Bradley and co-workers " 444 noticed the formation of MCl(OBu )3.2C5H5N as represented by Eq. (2.38) ... 

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