Lanthanide(III) complexes of p-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid, Ln(p-NBSA) 3 , m-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid, Ln(m-NBSA) 3 , and 2,4-nitrobenzenesulfonic acid, Ln(2,4-NBSA) 3 , were prepared, characterized and examined as catalyst for the nitration of benzene, toluene, xylenes, naphthalene, bromobenzene and chlorobenzene. The initial screening of the catalysts showed that lanthanum(III) complexes were more effective than the corresponding ytterbium(III) complexes, and that catalysts containing the bulky 2,4-NBSA ligand were less effective than the catalyst containing p-NBSA (nosylate) or m-NBSA ligands. Examination of a series of Ln(p-NBSA) 3 and Ln(m-NBSA) 3 catalysts revealed that there is a clear correlation between the ionic radii of the lanthanide(III) ions and the yields of nitration, with the lighter lanthanides being more effective. The X-ray single crystal structure of Yb(m-
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