Bulky siloxyaluminum alkyls as models for Al2Me6-Treated silica gel surfaces. Characterization of a dimethylaniline-stabilized dimethylaluminum cation

Reaction of a particularly bulky silanol, (2,4,6-Me3C6H2)3SiOH, with Al2Me6 gives, instead of the otherwise preferred unreactive binuclear siloxalanes with two siloxy bridges, a binuclear siloxalane with one siloxy and one methyl bridge, Me2Al(μ-OSi(2,4,6-Me3C6H2)3)(μ-Me)AlMe2. This species reacts with zirconocene dichlorides under chloride/methyl exchange; with the cationizing reagent PhMe2NH+B(C6F5)4- it forms the B(C6F5)4- salt of the mononuclear cation AlMe2(NPhMe2)2+.