COORDINATION OF ALANE AND ALUMINUM ALKYLS TO THE N-DONOR ATOM OF SIDE-CHAIN FUNCTIONALIZED CYCLOPENTADIENYL IRON AND NICKEL-COMPLEXES - STRUCTURE OF ([(C5H5)(C5H4CH2NME2)]FE)(2)ALH3

The synthesis of iron and nickel complexes with interaction of alane a nd trialkylaluminum compounds to the amino group is described. Treatme nt of [2-(N,N-dimethylamino)methyl] ferrocene [(C5H5)(C5H4CH2NMe2)] Fe (1) with trimethylaminealane (H-3-Al-NMe3), leads to the formation of the iron alane complex {[(C5H5)(C5H4CH2NMe2)]Fe}(2)AlH3 (2), with a f ive-coordinated aluminum center. The structure of 2 has been determine d by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The reaction of FeCl2 with two equivalents of {(C5H4CH2CH2NMe2)Li} leads to the formation of [(C5H4CH 2CH2NMe2)(2)Fe] (3). Complex 3 reacts quantitatively with two equivale nts of trimethylaluminum to the compound [(C5H4CH2CH2NMe2)(2)Fe](AlMe3 )(2) (4). Addition of trimethylaluminum or triethylaluminum to the nic kel complex [(C5H4CH2CH2NMe2)(2)Ni]Ni (5) give the paramagnetic nickel aluminum compounds [(C5H4CH2CH2NMe2)(2)Ni](AlMe3)(2) (6a) and [(C5H4C H2CH2NMe2)(2)Ni](AlEt3)(2) (6b), respectively. These compounds were ch aracterized by H-1, C-13 and Al-27 NMR, elemental analysis and mass sp ectroscopy. Studies to deposit intermetallic thin films using these co mpounds as bimetallic single source precursors revealed that aluminum was deposited, only. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.