Cerium chloride is used in petroleum catalysts, automotive exhaust catalysts, intermediates, and other industries. It is the main raw material for the preparation of rare earth cerium by electrolysis and metal thermal reduction. Rare earth ammonium sulfate is dissolved in sodium hydroxide, oxidized in air, and leached with dilute hydrochloric acid. It can be used in the field of stopping metal corrosion.
The application of cerium chloride in organic synthesis and pharmaceutical intermediates has attracted more and more attention. As we all know, the nucleophilic addition reaction between Grignard reagent or organolithium and carbonyl group is an important step in organic synthesis, and the yield of condensation and α, β-addition products is affected by the occurrence of side reactions such as conjugated addition of unsaturated aldehydes and ketones. Addition prevents these side reactions, increases yields, and shortens reaction times. Because Ce3+ has a strong oxygen affinity, it is easier to bind to the oxygen atom on the carbonyl group than Li or Mg, while the alkalinity of the organocerium reagent is lower than that of the organolithium and Grignard reagent, which is easy to coordinate the carbonyl group with the carbonyl oxygen, which is conducive to the addition reaction between the nucleophile and the carbonyl group. Therefore, organocerium can react with high-resistance aldehydes and ketones to form the corresponding alcohols. Many alcohols can be synthesized in this way.
In the presence of anhydrous CeCl3, alkyl, naphthalene group, aryl group, heterocyclic aryl group and α, β-unsaturated substituted acylsilane can react with vinyl magnesium bromide without side reaction. With the industrialization of cerium chloride preparation process, it shows good application prospects in the field of organic synthesis and pharmaceutical intermediates. It can promote various organic reactions and their applications in organic synthesis and the synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates. The addition of Grignard reagent or organolithium can prevent the occurrence of carbonyl nucleophilic addition side reactions, improving yield and selectivity. Many alcohols can be synthesized in this way. Organocerium can also react with nitrile to give tertiary methylamine products. It has potential application value in organic synthesis.