Lanthanide organometallic complexes have been synthesized by RT and RTLE. Lanthanides are very electropositive elements.
Organomercurials, such as HgPh, are common kinetically inert RT and RTLE reagents that allow functionalized 
derivatives to be synthesized, unlike organolithiums and Grignard reagents. Diarylmercurials are often used to synthesize lanthanide organometallic complexes. Hg(CF) is a better RT reagent to use with lanthanides than HgPh because it does not require a step to activate the metal. However, phenyl-substituted lanthanide complexes are more thermally stable than the pentafluorophenyl complexes. The use of HgPh led to the synthesis of a ytterbium complex with different oxidation states on the two Yb atoms: 
:Yb(CH)(THF) + HgPh → YbYbPh(THF)
In the Ln(CF) complexes, where Ln = Yb, Eu, or Sm, the Ln–C bonds are very reactive, making them useful in RTLE reactions. Protic substrates have been used as a reactant with the Ln(CF) complex as shown: Ln(CF) + 2LH → Ln(L) + 2CFH. It is possible to avoid the challenges of working with the unstable Ln(CF) complex by forming it in situ by the following reaction: 
:Ln + HgR + 2 LH → Ln(L) + Hg + 2 RH
Organotins are also kinetically inert RT and RTLE reagents that have been used in a variety of organometallic reactions. They have applications to the synthesis of lanthanide complexes, such as in the following reaction: 
:Yb + Sn(N(SiMe)) → Yb(N(SiMe)) + Sn