The half-sandwich fluorenyl-amido complex [2,7-tBu 2 -9-SiMe 3 C 13 H 6 ]Yb[N(SiMe 3 ) 2 ](DME) was synthesized by the reaction of [(Me 3 Si) 2 N] 2 Yb(THF) 2 with 2,7-tBu 2 -9-SiMe 3 C 13 H 7 (1:1 molar ratio) in 83% yield. The analogous reaction of [(Me 3 Si) 2 N] 2 Sm(THF) 2 affords a mixture of equimolar amounts of the half-sandwich complexes [2,7-tBu 2 -9-SiMe 3) was synthesized in 60% yield by reacting [(Me 3 Si) 2 N] 2 Sm(THF) 2 with 2 equiv of 2,7-tBu 2 -9-SiMe 3 C 13 H 7 . Complexes 2b and 3 result from competitive abstraction of H or SiMe 3 from 2,7-tBu 2 -9-SiMe 3 -fluorene by an amido group. In contrast, the homoligand sandwich complex [2,7-tBu 2 -9-SiMe 3 C 13 H 6 ] 2 Sm(DME) (5) could be synthesized in 80% yield when [(p-tBuC 6 H 4 ) 2 CH] 2 Sm(DME) 2 was used as a precursor. The complex (2,7-tBu 2 C 13 H 7 ) 2 Sm(THF) 2 (6) was synthesized by the reaction of 2,7-tBu 2 C 13 H 8 with [(Me 3 Si) 2 N] 2 Sm(THF) 2 (2:1) in 65% yields. The crystal structures of complexes 1, 2a,b, 3, 5, and 6 were established by X-ray analyses.