Easily accessible, hydrocarbon-soluble, crystalline, anhydrous lanthanide (Nd, La, and Y) phosphates.

Nd, La and Y triphosphates were prepared via the reaction of potassium ionol ethyl phosphate with the corresponding lanthanide nitrates or chlorides in water. According to the X-ray diffraction data, the recrystallised reaction products were dimers. The products did not contain water, were readily soluble in hydrocarbon solvents and demonstrated promising catalytic properties in the polymerisation of butadiene and DL-dilactide.