Lanthanide trihalides catalysts

We can visualise the capability of suitable lanthanide (Ln) compounds (J, 6), e.g. as homogeneous catalysts with respect to olefins, by invoking similar intermediates. Although the series of reportedly catalytically active Ln-complexes spans from the pure trihalide via tris(B-diketonato)complexes to the organo-metallic tris(cyclopentadienyl) and tetra(allyl)complexes (8), respectively, no really optimal combination of ligands on a Ln-element has been found so far. Promising aspects are, however, based on some evidence for "reaction steering" in that either cis- or trans-polybutadienes can be obtained from 1,3-dienes, and either polymers or metathesis products from monoolefins, respectively (Table I). 

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