Rate Acceleration in Nucleophilic Alkylation of Carbonyl Compounds with a New Template Containing Two Metallic Centers

Two aluminum centers aligned in the same direction capture carbonyl groups in such a way that efficient alkyl transfer becomes possible from aluminum to the carbon atom. This occurs via a favorable cyclic six-membered transition state ( 1 ). Carbonyl compounds can now be alkylated with otherwise less reactive alkylmetal species.