Catalytic auto-condensation of 2,4-pentanedione promoted by Sm(III) acetylacetonate: the X-ray structure of a novel complex [Sm(CH3COO)3(H2O)2](H2O)2

An efficient one-pot catalytic method to obtain 4,6-dimethyl-2-hydroxyacetophenone (A) is reported, the reaction proceeds via the intermolecular auto-condensation of 2,4-pentanedione using samarium(III) acetylacetonate (Sm(AcAc)3) as promoter. A novel complex [Sm(CH3COO)3(H2O)2](H2O)2 (I) was isolated from the reaction media. The structure of I was determined by X-ray crystallography showing that the central atom is ennea-coordinated (monocapped square-antiprism geometry). This complex I also shows activity in the named autocondensation reaction.