Ten new amidate lanthanide complexes 1–10 (Ln = La or Gd) have been prepared.
The single crystal structures of 2, 5, 6, 7, 8a, 9 and 10 were characterized by X-ray crystal structural analysis.
The complexes 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 10 were activity for the ring-opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone.