Cationic Gallium(III) Halide Complexes: A New Generation of π‐Lewis Acids

Abstract

Ga-neration X: Well-defined neutral and cationic gallium(III) halide complexes have been synthesized and evaluated in catalysis. Both the (NHC)GaX3/AgSbF6 catalytic mixture and isolated (NHC)GaX2+ species function as exquisite π-Lewis acids in typical GaX3-catalyzed reactions (see scheme). The cationic complexes are more active than GaX3 and yet more resistant to hydrolysis, which allows lower catalytic loadings and faster reactions.