Heterogeneous Lewis acid catalysis with self-organized polymeric rare earth arylsulfonates under solvent-free conditions

Polymeric rare earth arylsulfonates, easily prepared from rare earth triisopropoxides and biphenyl-4,4'-disulfonic acid (BPDSA) or 1,3,5-triphenylbenzene trisulfonic acid (TPTSA) in a self-organization manner, were found to work as an efficient heterogeneous Lewis acid catalyst for the hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of aldehydes with the Danishefsky's diene and the ring-opening reaction of epoxides with amines under solvent-free conditions. The catalysts could be quantitatively recovered and reused many times without decreasing their activities.