USE OF THE SALAN LIGANDS TO FORM BIMETALLIC ALUMINUM COMPLEXES

The syntheses and characterization of two types of complexes having a metal-Salan ligand stoichiometry of 2:1 (where Salan = N,N'-bis(o-hydr oxybenzyl)-1,2-diaminoethane (SaleanH(4)), N,N'-bis(o-hydroxybenzyl)-1 ,2-diaminobenzene (SalophanH(4)), and o-hydroxybenzyl)-1,2-diamino-(4, 5-dimethyl)benzene (SalomphanH(4))) are reported. The first are design ated type I and are of the general formula LHAlR(AlR(2)), where L = Sa lean [R = Me (1), Et (2), (i)Bu (3)], Salophan [R = Me (4), Et (5), (i )Bu (6)], and Salomphan [R = Me (7), Et (8), (i)Bu (9)]. Formed by the thermolysis of RH from the type I complexes, the type II complexes ar e of the general formula [LAl(AlR(2))](2), where L = Salophan [R = Me (10), (i)Bu (11)] and Salomphan [R = Me (12), (i)Bu(13)]. The type I c omplexes can be converted into the trimetallic derivatives SalanAlR(Al R(2))(2) (type III) through the addition of AlR(3) while the type II c annot. One structurally characterized trimetallic complex, SalophanAlE t(AlEt(2))(2) (14), serves as a representative of this successful tran sformation.