Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Novel Aluminum Amidato Derivative Exhibiting a Rare 16-Membered Wheel Containing Four Aluminum Centers

Reaction of 2 equiv of AlMe3 with 1,2-C6H4{NHC(t-Bu)O}2 gives the tetranuclear aluminum compound [{AlMe2(1,2-C6H4{NC(t-Bu)O}2)}AlMe2]2 (1), the molecular structure of which exhibits a novel central 16-membered ring formed by four AlMe2 units and four NCO fragments. Treatment of 1 with 1 equiv of B(C6F5)3 affords the ionic species [{(AlMe2)3(AlMe)(1,2-C6H4{NC(t-Bu)O}2)2][MeB(C6F5)3] (2).