Thermal decomposition of anhydrous triflato yttrium and ytterbium complexes

Reaction of lanthanides oxides (Ln(2)O(3) (Ln = Y and Yb)) with aqueous triflic acid (CF3SO3H) followed by thermal dehydration under vacuum yields anhydrous complexes Ln(OTf)(3). IR and Raman vibration spectroscopies and chemical analysis indicate that [OTf] is tridentate bridging and that the metallic center (Ln) is nine-coordinated. Decomposition at high temperature, followed by mass, X-ray powder diffraction and mass spectrometry, leads to fluorides LnF(3).