Synthesis and crystal structures of three amidinatoaluminum compounds and their catalytic behavior in the Tishchenko reaction

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Three amidinatoaluminum compounds, [{MeC(NCy)2}AlMe(μ-OMe)]2 (1), [{(PhN)MeC(NCy)}AlMe(μ-OMe)]2 (2) and [{(PhN)MeC(NtBu)}AlMe(μ-OMe)]2 (3), were prepared by the insertion reaction of oxygen with the corresponding aluminum amidinate in high yield and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. 1–3 were used as pre-catalysts to catalyze the Tishchenko reaction and both 2 and 3 exhibited good to excellent catalytic activity under mild conditions.