4,4′-Di-
tert-butyl-2,2′-bipyridyl (
tBu
2bpy) stabilizes the thermally sensitive [Lu(CH
2SiMe
3)
3] unit, giving the isolable lutetium(III) (trimethylsilyl)methyl complex (
tBu
2bpy)Lu(CH
2SiMe
3)
3 (
4). This tris(alkyl) complex does not undergo alkane elimination, and it readily reacts with Ph
3COH, H
2N-2,6-
iPr
2-C
6H
3, H
2N-2,4,6-
tBu
3-C
6H
2, and
N,
N′-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCHCDI) to afford a variety of Lu(III) tris(alkoxide), tris(amide), mono(amide) bis(alkyl), and amidinate bis(alkyl) compounds. Reaction of the amide bis(alkyl) complex (
tBu
2bpy)Lu(NH-2,4,6-
tBu
3-C
6H
2)(CH
2SiMe
3)
2 (
7) with triphenylphosphine oxide gives (Ph
3P
![](http://pubs.acs.org/images/entities/dbd_2.gif)
O)
2Lu(NH-2,4,6-
tBu
3-C
6H
2)(CH
2SiMe
3)
2 (
9), showing that the bidentate
tBu
2bpy ligand can be displaced.