Organoaluminum reagents' application in catalytic C-H bond functionalization is limited by competitive side reactions, such as carboalumination and hydroalumination. Herein, rare-earth tetramethylaluminate complexes are shown to catalyze the exclusive C-H bond metalation of terminal alkynes with the commodity reagents trimethyl-, triethyl-, and triisobutylaluminum. Kinetic experiments probing alkyl-group exchange between rare-earth aluminates and trialkylaluminum, C-H bond metalation of alkynes, and catalytic conversions reveal distinct pathways of catalytic aluminations with triethylaluminum versus trimethylaluminum. Most significantly, kinetic data point to reversible formation of a unique [Ln](AlR4 )2 ⋅AlR3 adduct, followed by turnover-limiting alkyne metalation. That is, C-H bond activation occurs from a more associated organometallic species, rather than the expected coordinatively unsaturated species. These mechanistic conclusions allude to a new general strategy for catalytic C-H bond alumination that make use of highly electrophilic metal catalysts.
Keywords: C−H bond activation; aluminates; catalysis; rare earths; saturation kinetics.
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