Organo-f-element catalysts for efficient and highly selective hydroalkoxylation and hydrothiolation

Lanthanide and actinide catalysts have made significant contributions to many areas of homogeneous catalysis with hydroelementation of C-C unsaturation being a notable area of success. In this Perspective, we review recent advances in f-element hydroelementation for highly selective hydroalkoxylation and hydrothiolation processes. As will be discussed, f-element hydroalkoxylation and hydrothiolation catalysts exhibit selectivities unobtainable by many late transition metal complexes. First, we review lanthanide-mediated hydroalkoxylation processes with mechanistic, thermodynamic, and kinetic considerations discussed, and then compare/contrast them with analogous C-N and C-P bond-forming transformations. In addition, computational studies are discussed which provide further insight into this transformation and the observed selectivities. Next, actinide-mediated alkyne hydrothiolation is reviewed with a similar discussion of reactivity, mechanism, and thermodynamics.