Tetrametallic group 13 'Mitsubishi' molecules

Under fairly disparate conditions tetrametallic aluminum complexes can be isolated that feature a central six-coordinate aluminum connected by bridging heteroatoms to three peripheral four-coordinate aluminum atoms. Based upon their striking resemblance to the Mitsubishi emblem these molecules will be given the name 'Mitsubishi(TM) [1]. This review will discuss the formation of these compounds and will seek to establish the guiding principles under which additional 'Mitsubishi(TM) compounds may be formed. The impact of these compounds on the formation of solid-state materials, particularly aluminum oxide, will be briefly discussed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.