title: Ligand coordination modulates reductive elimination from aluminium(iii).
abstract: Oxidative addition of inert bonds at low-valent main-group centres is becoming a major class of reactivity for these species. The reverse reaction, reductive elimination, is possible in some cases but far rarer. Here, we present a mechanistic study of reductive elimination from Al(iii) centres and unravel ligand effects in this process. Experimentally determined activation and thermodynamic parameters for the reductive elimination of Cp*H from Cp*2AlH are reported, and this reaction is found to be inhibited by the addition of Lewis bases. We find that C-H oxidative addition at Al(i) centres proceeds by initial protonation at the low-valent centre.
authors.affiliation: EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FJ, UK. michael.cowley@ed.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Stephanie J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Urwin
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Gary S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Nichol
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cowley