Steric engineering of C–F activation with lanthanoid formamidinates

Reaction of lanthanum with Hg(C6F5)2 and bulky N,N-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidine (HDippForm) in tetrahydrofuran gives [LaF {DippForm}2(THF)] with a rare terminal Ln–F bond, and a high yield of a novel functionalised formamidine, DippForm((CH2)4OC6F4H-o).