A new class of water soluble, environmentally friendly, lanthanoid 3, 5-diacetamidobenzoate complexes (Ln= La, Gd, Yb) have been synthesized. The La and Gd complexes selectively catalyse hydrolysis of the cis-isomer of limonene oxide allowing for the separation of the trans-isomer (> 98: 2 dr) in up to 74% yield. Comparative studies with the corresponding chlorides and triflates reveal the lanthanoid benzoate complexes to be more active than ...
[Wuenschell, Gerald E.; Tetreau, Catherine; Lavalette, Daniel; Reed, Christopher A. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1992 , vol. 114, # 9 p. 3346 - 3355]