Chemistry of the organodiamides of magnesium, aluminum and mixed Mg-Al systems. A review of the heterocumulene reactivity on the Mg-Al centers

The organoamides of magnesium, aluminum and Al-Mg bridged oligomers demonstrate an exceptional utility and a bright future for further research, for example, as reagents in organic synthesis and potential precursors for aluminum nitride in semiconductor systems and ceramics. Some transformations that can be achieved with these reagents include the reduction of ketones and aldehydes, ring opening polymerization of epoxides, ortho magnesiation. reductive or-substitution of sulfoxides etc. The ideal reagents for the catalytic reactions mentioned above are the coordinatively unsaturated ones. In spite of their interesting structural features and reactivity pattern the chemistry of these noteworthy main group metal complexes has not been reviewed adequately for a long time. Hence, a critical review article will help scientists push the current research to a higher level. The main focus is on the heterocumulene reactivity and this is compared with the same in transition metal complexes. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.