GROUP-13 AZATRANES - SYNTHETIC, CONFORMATIONAL, AND CONFIGURATIONAL FEATURES

The monomeric azatranes E(RNCH2CH2)3N 7 (E = B, R = Me), 8 (E = B, R = SiMe3), and 9 (E = Al, R = SiMe3) can be synthesized from E(NMe2)3 an d (HRNCH2CH2)3N in low yields (6-37%). The azatrane 10 (E = Al, R = Me ), formed in 64% yield by the analogous reaction, is a stable dimer fe aturing a four-membered MeNAlNMeAl ring in which the aluminum is five- coordinate as shown by H-1, C-13, and Al-27 NMR spectroscopic techniqu es (including two-dimensional ones). Compound 7 can be made in 30% yie ld by reacting 10 with B(OMe)3. Compound 8, in contrast to 7 and 9, ex ists as rigid enantiomers that interconvert slowly at room temperature on the NMR time scale owing to steric repulsion of the Me3Si groups. VT H-1 and B-11 NMR studies provide evidence for a concerted (rather t han a stepwise) racemization mechanism (DELTAH(double dagger), 61 +/- 5 kJ.mol-1; DELTAS(double dagger), -36 +/- 13 J.mol-1 K-1) involving a symmetric (C3v) transition state that retains the transannular bond.