Aluminum complexes of β-hydroxy-imino ligands: Synthesis, structures and application in the Tishchenko reaction

• A series of aluminum complexes of β-hydroxy-imino ligands were synthesized.
• Their structures were characterized by NMR, elemental analysis and X-ray study.
• Those compounds as catalysts for Tishchenko reaction have been investigated.

Four aluminum alkoxide complexes containing β-hydroxy-imino ligands, [(2,6-Me2C6H3)NCPhCH2CPh2O]2AlMe (3a), [(2,6-iPr2C6H3)NCPhCH2CPh2O]2AlMe (3b), [(2,6-Me2C6H3)NCPhCH2C(C12H8)OAlMe2]2 (3c) and [(2,6-iPr2C6H3)NCPhCH2C(C12H8)OAlMe2]2 (3d) were synthesized in high yields, and their structural features were provided. The catalytic behavior of those four complexes about the Tishchenko reaction with a range of aromatic aldehydes as substrates were assessed, and it present a synthetically useful protocol to the solvent-free Tishchenko reaction under mild conditions.

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