Barium tetraalkylaluminate complexes supported by the super-bulky hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand.

A heteroleptic barium aminobenzyl complex [(TpAd,iPr)Ba(o-CH2C6H4-NMe2)] (1) was obtained in excellent yield from a simple one-pot reaction. Treatment of [(TpAd,iPr)Ba(o-CH2C6H4-NMe2)] (1) with two equivalents of AlR3 (R = Me, Et) led to the formation of barium tetraalkylaluminate complexes [(TpAd,iPr)Ba(AlR4)]n (R = Me, n = 2, 2; R = Et, n = 1, 3) as dimers or monomers in the solid state. The TpAd,iPr ligand-free peralkylated barium complex [Ba(AlEt4)2]n was isolated by the addition of ten equivalents of AlEt3 under the same conditions. The donor-induced aluminate cleavage is not applicable when donor solvents are added to complexes 2 and 3. In the solution of complexes 2 and 3, the alkylaluminate moieties and TpAd,iPr ligands show a rapid fluxional behavior in [D8]toluene solution over the temperature range of -70 to 25 °C, without any significant decoalescence of the corresponding proton signals.