Lanthanide-Catalyzed Tandem Addition of Amines to Cyanoalkenes: Synthesis of Cyclic Amidines.

A tandem insertion of aliphatic nitriles and unactivated alkenes to the N-H bond of secondary aliphatic amines catalyzed by simple trialkyl rare-earth metal complexes was disclosed. This reaction provides a highly atom-economic and stereoselective way to a range of cyclic amidines under mild reaction conditions.