Syntheses of aluminum and zinc alkyl complexes of a highly fluorinated tris(pyrazolyl)borate using [HB(3,5-(CF3)2Pz)3]Ag(THF) as the ligand transfer agent

Dimethylaluminum or ethylzinc complexes of highly fluorinated tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand [HB(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(3)](-) can be obtained in excellent yield from the reaction between the silver adduct [HB(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(3)]Ag(THF) and the metal alkyl reagent Me(3)Al or Et(2)Zn. The X-ray crystal structure of [HB(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(3)]AlMe(2) shows that the tris(pyrazolyl)borate ligand coordinates to the aluminum center in kappa(2)-fashion. [HB(3,5-(CF(3))(2)Pz)(3)]ZnEt features the typical kappa(3)-bonded ligand.