Preparation of Nd/Na heterogeneous catalyst from bench-stable and inexpensive Nd salt for an anti-selective catalytic asymmetric nitroaldol reaction

[Display omitted] •Nd/Na heterobimetallic catalyst was prepared from inexpensive metal salts.•The new catalyst exhibited comparable catalytic performance.•The new catalyst was successfully applied to continuous-flow reaction. A Nd/Na heterobimetallic complex prepared from an amide-based chiral ligand, Nd alkoxide, and NaHMDS is a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for an anti-selective catalytic asymmetric nitroaldol reaction. Nd alkoxide is sensitive to moisture, expensive, and scarce, making it difficult to use the Nd/Na catalyst in large-scale applications. Herein we describe a new protocol that allows for catalyst preparation from bench-stable and inexpensive NdCl3·6H2O with comparable catalytic activity.