Synthesis, structure of dinuclear o -phenylene linked bis(amidinate) rare-earth metal complexes and their catalytic activity towards Strecker reaction

New dinuclear o -phenylene linked bis(amidinate) rare-earth metal alkyl complexes [{C 6 H 4 -1,2(NC t BuNC 6 H 5 ) 2 }RECH 2 SiMe 3 ] 2 (RE = Y ( 1 ), Er ( 2 ), Yb ( 3 )) were synthesized in high yields. All complexes were established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies, which revealed that each bis(amidinate) ligand linked to two metal ions with one amidinate group coordinated to the metal ion in classical K2 - N,N' modes, while the other amidinate group worked as a bridge coordination with the two metal ions in it- K2 : K1 chelating mode, resulting in the formation of amidinate group bridged dinuclear complexes. The complexes exhibited excellent catalytic reactivity for the Strecker reaction with wide range of unactivated imines under solvent-free conditions in presence of 1.0 mol% catalyst loading. (c) 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.