SYNTHESIS AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF (TBU)2GA(OCPH3) - AN EXAMPLE OF A POSSIBLE INTRAMOLECULAR PI-INTERACTION

Reaction of tri-tert-butylgallium with triphenylmethanol affords the monomeric product (tBu)2Ga(OCPh3), in which the gallium is three-coordinate. The presence of a short Ga...phenyl intramolecular contact may be explained by the possible donation of electron density from the pi orbital of one phenyl group to the vacant p orbital of tricoordinate gallium. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/n, with a = 9.533(2) angstrom, b = 17.030(4) angstrom, c = 14.289(4) angstrom, beta = 90.57(2)-degrees, Z = 4,2541 observed data, R = 0.049, and R(w) = 0.059.