Reactivity of NHC Alane Adducts towards N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and Cyclic (Alkyl)(amino)carbenes: Ring Expansion, Ring Opening, and Al-H Bond Activation.

The synthesis of mono-NHC alane adducts of the type (NHC)⋅AlH3 (NHC=Me2 Im (1), Me2 ImMe (2), iPr2 Im (3 and [D3 ]-3), iPr2 ImMe (4), Dipp2 Im (10); Im=imidazolin-2-ylidene, Dipp=2,6-diisopropylphenyl) and (NHC)⋅AliBu2 H (NHC=iPr2 Im (11), Dipp2 Im (12)) as well as their reactivity towards different types of carbenes is presented. Although the mono-NHC adducts remained stable at elevated temperatures, ring expansion occurred when (iPr2 Im)⋅AlH3 (3) was treated with a second equivalent of the carbene iPr2 Im to give (iPr2 Im)⋅AlH(RER-iPr2 ImH2 ) (6). In 6, {(iPr2 Im}AlH} is inserted into the NHC ring. In contrast, ring opening was observed with the sterically more demanding Dipp2 Im with the formation of (iPr2 Im)⋅AlH2 (ROR-Dipp2 ImH2 )H2 Al⋅(iPr2 Im) (9). In 9, two {(iPr2 Im)⋅AlH2 } moieties stabilize the ring-opened Dipp2 Im. If two hydridic sites are blocked, the adducts are stable with respect to further ring expansion or ring opening, as exemplified by the adducts (iPr2 Im)⋅AliBu2 H (11) and (Dipp2 Im)⋅AliBu2 H (12). The adducts (NHC)⋅AlH3 and (iPr2 Im)⋅AliBu2 H reacted with cAACMe by insertion of the carbene carbon atom into the Al-H bond to give (NHC)⋅AlH2 /iBu2 (cAACMe H) (13-18) instead of ligand substitution, ring-expansion, or ring-opened products.