Aluminum alkyls with intramolecularly coordinated oxygen

Organoaluminum alkyls L 1 AlMe 2 ( 1 ), L 2 AlMe 2 ( 2 ) and L 2 Al i Bu 2 ( 3 ) with O,C,O‐chelating ligands L 1 and L 2 [L 1 = 2, 6‐(MeOCH 2 ) 2 C 6 H 3 and L 2 = 2, 6‐( t BuOCH 2 ) 2 C 6 H 3 ] were prepared. The compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis, 1 H, 13 C, 27 Al NMR spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis ( 3 ). Solution NMR studies indicated the four coordinated aluminum atom and dissociation/association dynamic process in solution of 1 – 3 . The X‐ray diffraction analysis of 3 showed that the aluminum atom is [4 + 1] coordinated with the trans ‐trigonal bipyramidal geometry. The reactivity of 2 was investigated. Reactions of 2 with MeOH and I 2 resulted in aluminum alkoxide [L 2 Al(OMe) 2 ( 4 )] and iodides [L 2 AlI 2 · THF ( 5 ) and L 2 AlI 2 ( 6 )], respectively, characterized by elemental analysis, IR and 1 H, 13 C and 27 Al NMR spectroscopy. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.