Trisguanidinate Lanthanide Complexes: Syntheses, Structures, and Catalytic Activity for Mild Amidation of Aldehydes with Amines

A series of new trisguanidinate lanthanide complexes including the first THF-solvated trisguanidinate lanthanum complexes were synthesized and fully characterized. The complexes were found to be efficient catalysts for amidation of aldehydes with amines under mild conditions with a wide scope of substrates including pyrrolidine, piperidine, and morpholine, and one of the intermediates for this process, lanthanum amido complex {[((PrN)-Pr-i)(CNHPr)-Pr-i(NC(6)H(4)p-Cl)](2)La(NHC6H5)}(2)center dot C7H8, was isolated.