Dihydrogen Activation by Lithium‐ and Sodium‐Aluminyls

Abstract

Abstract To date, aluminyl anions have been exclusively isolated as their potassium salts. We report herein the synthesis of the lithium and sodium aluminyls, M 2 [Al(NON Dipp )] 2 ( M =Li, Na. NON Dipp =[O(SiMe 2 NDipp) 2 ] 2− ; Dipp=2,6‐ i Pr 2 C 6 H 3 ). Both compounds crystallize from non‐coordinating solvent as “slipped” contacted dimeric pairs with strong M ⋅⋅⋅π(aryl) interactions. Isolation from Et 2 O solution affords the monomeric ion pairs (NON Dipp )Al‐ M (Et 2 O) 2 , which contain discrete Al−Li and Al−Na bonds. The ability of the full series of Li, Na and K aluminyls to activate dihydrogen is reported.