Cover Feature: A Novel Reactivity of Phosphanylalumane (>P−Al<): Reversible Addition of a Saturated Interelement Bond to Olefins (Chem. Eur. J. 44/2021)

Abstract

A P−Al single-bond species, phosphanylalumane, was found to bind relatively small terminal alkenes (ethylene, propylene, and hex-1-ene). Although the ethylene adduct did notundergo any elimination of ethylene even under vacuum conditions, heating the terminal alkene adducts resulted in the release of the corresponding alkenes and regenerated the P−Al bond. Theethylene adduct can work as a new saturated C2 vicinal P/Al-based frustrated Lewis pair (FLP), showing characteristic reactivity through the elimination of ethylene. More information can be found in the Communication by Y. Mizuhata, N. Tokitoh, and T. Yanagisawa (DOI: 10.1002/chem.202101649).