Aluminum-nickel bonded intermediates in the Ziegler Nickel Effect: Mechanistic support from catalyzed hydroalumination and carbalumination reactions

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(96)06345-0

The interaction of nickel(0) complexes with aluminum alkyls or hydrides to generate aluminum-nickel bonded intermediates is supported by three lines of evidence: (1) the Ni-H bond observed in the ¹H spectrum of mixtures of (Et₃P)₄Ni and ⁱBu₂AlH; (2) the efficient carbalumination of benzonitrile effected by mixtures of ⁱBu₃Al and (Cod)₂Ni vs. no carbalumination by ⁱBu₃Al alone; (3) the efficient synergistic hydrogen transfer between 9,10-dihydroanthracene and diphenylacetylene promoted only by mixtures of ⁱBu₃Al and (Cod)₂Ni. These observations provide strong evidence that intermediates of the type R₂Al-NiR and R₂ Al-Ni-H could very well be the causative agents in the Ziegler Nickel Effect.