A1 Journal article (refereed)
Trapping and Reactivity of a Molecular Aluminium Oxide Ion (2019)

Hicks, J., Heilmann, A., Vasko, P., Goicoechea, J., & Aldridge, S. (2019). Trapping and Reactivity of a Molecular Aluminium Oxide Ion. Angewandte Chemie, 131(48), 17425-17428. https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.201910509

JYU authors or editors

Vasko, Petra

Publication details

All authors or editors: Hicks, Jamie; Heilmann, Andreas; Vasko, Petra; Goicoechea, Jose; Aldridge, Simon

Journal or series: Angewandte Chemie

ISSN: 1433-7851

eISSN: 1521-3773

Publication year: 2019

Volume: 131

Issue number: 48

Pages range: 17425-17428

Publisher: Wiley-VCH Verlag

Publication country: Germany

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ange.201910509

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access:

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/65829

Abstract

Aluminium oxides constitute an important class of inorganic compound that are widely exploited in the chemical industry as catalysts and catalyst supports. Due to the tendency for such systems to aggregate via Al‐O‐Al bridges, the synthesis of well‐defined, soluble, molecular models for these materials is challenging. Here we show that reactions of the potassium aluminyl complex K 2 [( NON )Al] 2 ( NON = 4,5‐bis(2,6‐diiso‐propylanilido)‐2,7‐di‐tert‐butyl‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene) with CO 2 , PhNCO and N 2 O all proceed via a common aluminium oxide intermediate. This highly reactive species can be trapped by coordination of a THF molecule as the anionic oxide complex [( NON )AlO(THF)] ‐ , which features discrete Al‐O bonds and dimerizes in the solid state via weak O … K interactions. This species reacts with a range of small molecules including N 2 O to give a hyponitrite ([N 2 O 2 ] 2‐ ) complex and H 2 , the latter offering an unequivocal example of heterolytic E‐H bond cleavage across a main group M‐O bond.

Keywords: coordination complexes; aluminium; oxides; reduction (chemistry)

Free keywords: aluminium; oxide; aluminyl; reduction; small molecule activation

Fields of science: