Controlled synthesis of high quality scandium-based nanocrystals as promising recyclable catalysts for silylcyanation reaction.

High quality (monodisperse and well-defined) scandium based ternary fluoride nanocrystals of NaScF and KScF were successfully fabricated via a one-pot colloidal synthesis method. These nanocrystals can play the part of hard Lewis acid catalysts by providing Lewis acid sites on account of the unique electronic structure, i.e. the ability of polarizing double bonds by coordination. As a proof of concept application, NaScF and KScF nanocatalysts were used to catalyze the silylcyanation reaction at room temperature, which exhibited excellent catalytic activity with outstanding recyclability.