A novel ytterbium/perfluoroalkylated-pyridine catalyst for Baylis–Hillman reaction in a fluorous biphasic system

Ytterbium perfluorooctanesulfonate [Yb(OPf)3] catalyses the highly efficient Baylis–Hillman reaction in the presence of a catalytic amount of a novel perfluoroalkylated-pyridine as a ligand in a fluorous biphasic system (FBS) composed of toluene and perfluorodecalin. The new process can be carried out successfully without the use of a stoichiometric amount of Lewis base. The fluorous phase containing the active catalytic species is easily separated and can be reused several times without significant loss of catalytic activity.