[2+4] Cycloaddition Product of an Amidinate Substituted Dialumene with Toluene

Reduction of LAlI2 (L=PhC(NiPr2C6H3)2) with two equivalents of KC8 in toluene affords the [2+4]cycloaddition product of a dialumene with toluene. The mechanism for the formation of product complex was investigated using density functional theory (DFT) methods. A transient dialumene based on an amidinate scaffold was synthesized. The complex was isolated as a cycloaddition product with toluene. The mechanism of the reaction investigated using the DFT method indicates a free energy barrier of 0.9 kcal/mol with respect to the monomeric AlI intermediate.