Rare-earth metal complexes with tridentate linked amido-indenyl ligand: Synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties for intramolecular hydroamination

The complexes of rare-earth metals (Y, Sm, Er and Yb) with a tridentate silicon-linked amido-indenyl ligand were synthesized and characterized. These complexes demonstrated high efficiency in catalyzing the intramolecular hydroamination of non-activated olefins under very mild conditions. Structure–reactivity relationship study revealed that the catalytic activities of these complexes decreased as the radii of the core metal ion decreased.