Activation of Dihydrogen by Masked Doubly Bonded Aluminum Species

Activation of dihydrogen by masked dialumenes (Al=Al doubly bonded species) is reported. Reactions of barrelene‐type dialumanes, which have the reactivity as masked equivalents of 1,2‐diaryldialumenes ArAl=AlAr, with H 2 afforded dihydroalumanes ArAlH 2 at room temperature (Ar: bulky aryl groups). These dihydroalumanes form hydrogen‐bridged dimers [ArHAl(μ‐H)] 2 in the crystalline state, while a monomer–dimer equilibrium was suggested in solution. The 1,2‐diaryldialumenes generated from the barrelene‐type dialumanes are the putative active species in the cleavage of H 2 .