MCl3 and L (M = Ce, Pr, Sm; L = 2,3,11,12-tetraphenyl-1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxa-2,11-cyclooctadecadiene ) produced complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry. The core (M3d5/2), O1s, C1s, Cl2p) of the reactant salt and its complexes was studied by XPS. Satellite phenomena were observed for the M electron signals in all cases. These are attributed Cl3p to M charge transfer excitations. The satellites of Ce are due to transition energy >0; those of Pr and Sm are due to transition energies <0. The former belong to shake-up processes and the latter to shake-down processes.

Key words: CHLORIDE, CROWN ETHER COMPOUNDS, BENZENE P, X-RAY PHOTOELECTRON SPECTROMETRY, LIGHT RARE EARTH, ELECTRON ENERGY LEVEL, CHARGE TRANSFER COMPLEX, C18 COMPOUNDS, DIENE P