Structure investigation of a dimethylaluminium derivative of ethyl rac-lactate in the solid state and solution. First evidence for stereoselective association of a dialkylaluminium O,O′-chelate complex

Abstract

The reaction of AlMe ₃ with an equimolar amount of ethyl rac-lactate (Helac) affords rac-[Me ₂ Al{(S*)-elac}] ₂ ; the X-ray structure shows that the adduct is formed in a highly stereoselective manner and variable-temperature ¹ H NMR spectra indicates that the five-coordinated complex is non-rigid in solution.