MONOMERIC, N-FUNCTIONALIZED AMIDO COMPLEXES OF ALUMINUM - SYNTHESIS OF [ALCL(NR(8-C9H6N))(2)] (R=H OR SIME(3)) AND [AL(N(2-C5H4N)(2-C5H4N))(3)]

Routes have been devised to a series of aluminium(III) amide complexes containing either of the bulky, N-functionalised amides NR(8-C9H6N)(- ) (R=H or SiMe(3)) or N(2-C5H4N)(2)(-). Reaction of the lithium amides [{Li(OEt(2))[NR(8-C9H6N)]}(2)] (R=H or SiMe(3)) with AlCl3 afforded [ AlCl{NR(8-C9H6N)}(2)] (R = H or SiMe(3)) respectively. The crystal str ucture of five-co-ordinate [AlCl{NH(8-C9H6N)}(2)] shows it to be monom eric in the solid state with intramolecular dative interactions betwee n the aluminium centre and both aromatic nitrogen atoms. Treatment of NH(2-C5H4N)(2) with [AlH3(NMe(3))] yielded the six-co-ordinate complex [Al{N(2-C5H4N)(2-C5H4N)}(3)], the crystal structure of which confirms it to be monomeric with intramolecular Al-N (aromatic) dative bonds f rom one pyridyl functionality of each amide ligand. In solution this c omplex exhibits fluxional behaviour which has been investigated by var iable-temperature H-1 NMR spectroscopy.