Al/P‐ and Ga/P‐Based Frustrated Lewis Pairs and Electronically Unsaturated Substrates: Ring Cleavage and Ring Closure, C−C and C−N Bond Formation

Al/P‐ and Ga/P‐based frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) reacted with an azirine under mild conditions under cleavage of the heterocycle on two different positions. Opening of the C−C bond yielded an unusual nitrile–ylide adduct in which a C−N moiety coordinated to the FLP backbone. Cleavage of a C−N bond afforded the thermodynamically favored enamine adduct with the N atom bound to P and Al or Ga atoms. Ring closure was observed upon treatment of an Al/P FLP with electronically unsaturated substrates (4‐(1‐cyclohexenyl)‐1‐aza‐but‐1‐en‐3‐ynes) and yielded by C−N bond formation hexahydroquinoline derivatives, which coordinated to the FLP through P−C and Al−C bonds. Diphenylcyclopropenone showed a diverse reactivity, which depending on steric shielding and the polarizing effect of Al or Ga atoms afforded different products. An AltBu2/P FLP yielded an adduct with the C=O group coordinated to P and Al. The dineopentyl derivative gave an equilibrium mixture consisting of a similar product and a simple adduct with O bound to Al and a three‐coordinate P atom. Both compounds co‐crystallize. The Ga/P FLP only formed the simple adduct with the same substrate. Rearrangement resulted in all cases in C3‐ring cleavage and migration of a mesityl group from P to a former ring C atom by C−C bond formation. Diphenylthiocyclopropenone (evidence for the presence of P=C bonds) and an imine derivative afforded similar products. Ambivalent reactivity: Al/P‐ and Ga/P‐based frustrated Lewis pairs react by ring cleavage or ring closure depending on the nature of the organic substrates. Strained rings such as those of azirine or cyclopropenone are opened, whereas an ynimine with conjugated C=N, C≡C, and C=C bonds results in efficient ring closure by C−N bond formation and generation of hexahydroquinolines under mild conditions.