Abstract The preparation of the lanthanoid bisporphinates, bis[meso-tetra(p-tolyl)porphinato]-cerium(IV) [Ce(TTP)2**] and bis[meso-tetra(p-tolyl)porphinato]hydrogenpraseodymium-(III) [PrH(TTP)2] from Ce(acac)3 and Pr(acac)3 in boiling 1,2,4-trichlorobenzene is described. Ce(TTP)2 is a diamagnetic and rather inert CeIV derivative, PrH(TTP)2 is a paramagnetic PrIII complex and may be deprotonated to give the anion [Pr(TTP)2]- which is characterized by conductivity measurements, electrophoresis, and isolation of its tetra(n-butyl)ammonium or tetraphenylarsonium salt. The compounds are identified by UV/VIS, IR, 1H NMR, and mass spectra. The data are consistent with a sandwich-type square antiprismatic array of the two porphinate disks about the CeIV or PrIII ion as found earlier in the bis-phthalocyaninates U(Pc)2 or NdH(Pc)2.

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