In‐situ Formation of a Dinuclear Al(III) Complex in Friedel‐Crafts Sulfoxidation of 2‐Naphthol with Thionyl Chloride

Abstract

A new dinuclear Al(III) complex has been prepared by in situ Friedel-Crafts sulfoxidation of 2-naphthol with thionyl chloride (SOCl 2 ) and AlCl 3 as catalyst. The product was characterized by elemental analysis, spectroscopic methods and single crystal Xray analysis. X-ray diffraction indicated that the product is a centrosymmetric dinuclear Al(III) complex, [Al(bn)(μ À OCH 3 ) (CH 3 OH)] 2 (1), where bn 2À is a O 3 -donor 1,1'-sulfonylbis(naphtholate) ligand obtained by in situ reaction of materials. The coordination environment around the Al(III) ions is distorted octahedral (AlO 6 ) and the Al(III) ions are connected together by methoxy bridging ligands. Complex 1 crystallizes in triclinic system and Al(III)⋅⋅⋅Al(III) separation is 2.886(2) Å. The dimeric structure is stabilized by two intramolecular O À H⋅⋅⋅O hydrogen bonds, while the intermolecular interactions are provided by C-H⋅⋅⋅π and π-π contacts.