The preparation of polyfunctional organometallics is important in organic synthesis as these reagents are very popular nucleophiles. The preparation of functionalized aluminium reagents by direct insertion of aluminium powder is in general not possible. Such a reaction would be of special importance owing to the low price of aluminium compared with magnesium (it is half the price), the low toxicity of this metal and the chemoselectivity of the resultant organoaluminium reagents. We have now found that by adding catalytic amounts of selected metallic chlorides (TiCl(4), BiCl(3), InCl(3) or PbCl(2)) in the presence of LiCl, aluminium powder inserts into various unsaturated iodides and bromides under mild conditions. These resulting new organoaluminium reagents undergo smooth Pd-catalysed cross-coupling and acylation reactions, as well as copper-catalysed allylic substitutions, affording various interesting products for pharmaceutical and material science applications.

Alkyl bromides bearing various functional groups are smoothly converted to functionalized alkylzinc reagents by the direct insertion of magnesium in the presence of LiCl and ZnCl(2).

The reaction of commercial Al-powder (3 equiv) and InCl(3) (1-5 mol %) with benzylic chlorides provides various functionalized benzylic aluminum sesquichlorides under mild conditions (THF, 20 °C, 3-24 h) without homocoupling (<5%). These new benzylic organometallics reacted smoothly with various electrophiles (Pd-catalyzed cross-couplings, or Cu-mediated acylations, allylations, or 1,4-addition reactions). Electron-poor benzylic chlorides or substrates prone to Wurtz coupling can be converted to benzylic zinc compounds by the reaction of Al-powder in the presence of ZnCl(2).

A handsome couple: Through the use of the simple Pd catalyst [Pd(tmpp)(2)Cl(2)] (tmpp = tris(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)phosphine) and THF/DMF as solvent, various aryl-, heteroaryl-, benzyl- and alkylaluminum reagents can be readily cross-coupled with aryl or heteroaryl iodides, bromides, and nonaflates, and in special cases even with chlorides and triflates. This cross-coupling tolerates free NH(2) groups, aldehydes, ketones, esters, and nitro functions.

Al be there for you: Sensitive functional groups, including ester and cyano groups, can be present in allylic aluminum reagents prepared by aluminum insertion in the presence of InCl3. These aluminum organometallic compounds undergo addition reactions to various functionalized aldehydes or ketones with remarkable diastereoselectivities allowing the construction of two adjacent quaternary and tertiary centers (see scheme).