Hydrogen and dihydrogen bonding as important features of the reactivity ofthe bridging hydride in pyrazolate-bridged dialuminum complexes

Treatment of diisobutylaluminum hydride with 3,5-disubstituted pyrazoles in 2:1 stoichiometry affords the bridging hydride complexes [(mu,eta (1):eta (1)-R(2)pz)-(AliBu(2))(2)(mu -H)]. A theoretical study of the reaction of [ (mu,eta (1):eta (1)-R(2)pz)(AliBu(2))(2)(mu -H)] with methanol predicts tha t the reaction proceeds by way of an intermediate containing a strong dihyd rogen bond, suggesting that dihydrogen bonding is an important feature of t he reactivity of organoaluminum hydrides.