On the potentially excellent reducing ability of a series of low-valent rare earths induced by photoirradiation

Mixed systems of a series of rare earth metals such as La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, and Yb and their low-valent rare earth diiodides exhibit excellent reducing ability toward the reductive deiodation from 1-iodododecane as a model compound compared with their single systems. More importantly, under photoirradiation conditions, the C–I bond reduction using ‘Ln/LnI2’ takes place efficiently in refluxing THF, even in the cases of heavy rare earths such as Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, and Tm.