Computational and spectroscopic studies of molecular lanthanide complexes have implicated 4f orbitals in metal–ligand bonding interactions. Now, a comparative study of isostructural d-block, actinide and lanthanide complexes has shown that 4f-orbital covalency enables ring-opening isomerization in a Ce(IV)–cyclopropenyl complex in the solid state, a reaction not observed for the other complexes studied.
- Brett D. Vincenzini
- Xiaojuan Yu
- Eric J. Schelter
