REGIOSELECTIVE AND STEREOSELECTIVE SYNTHESIS FOR A NOVEL CLASS OF ORGANOALUMINUM COMPOUNDS - SUBSTITUTED ALUMINACYCLOPENTANES AND ALUMINACYCLOPENTENES ASSISTED BY ZIRCONIUM CATALYSTS

A novel regio- and stereoselective method has been developed for the c atalytic cyclometallation of olefins and acetylenes with alkylalanes i n the presence of Cp(2)ZrCl(2), to give in one stage high yields of 3- substituted aluminacyclopentanes and aluminacyclopentenes. Application s of these reactions to a wide range of linear and cyclic olefins and to those containing functional substituents have been studied. The tra nsformation of the aluminacyclopentanes thus produced, into five-membe red heterocycles, mono- and di-substituted cyclobutanes and cyclopropa nes, has been demonstrated.