A molecular aluminium fulleride.

The reaction of alumylene [( Dipp nacnac)Al] (1) with C 60 fashions the first example of a structurally characterised aluminium-fulleride complex, [{( Dipp nacnac)Al} 3 C 60 ] (2), in which the Al centres are covalently bound to significantly elongated 6 : 6 bonds. Hydrolysis of 2 yields C 60 H 6 and the reaction of 2 with [{ Mes nacnac)Mg} 2 ] cleaved off the Al fragments by affording the fulleride [{ Mes nacnac)Mg} 6 C 60 ].