Aluminum bases for the highly chemoselective preparation of aryl and heteroaryl aluminum compounds.

Selective C-H activation with a series of neutral aluminum trisamide bases led to a wide range of polyfunctional aryl and heteroaryl aluminum reagents. Ester and cyano groups are stable under the reaction conditions for this direct alumination, and donor oxygen substituents are efficient directing groups. High metalation regioselectivities were observed with O,S and N,S heterocycles (see example).