Stepwise fluorination of [MeAlN(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)]3 using trimethyltin fluoride as fluorinating agent

The fluorination of [MeAlN(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)]3 1 using 1 and 2 eq., respectively, trimethyltin fluoride leads to the monoand difluoro compounds, [FAl(MeAl)2(N(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3))3] 2THF 2 and [(FAl)2MeAl(N(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3))3] 3THF 3, where each methyl group can be selectively exchanged for terminal fluorine atoms (Al–F). The reaction of 1 and 3 eq. of trimethyltin fluoride leads to the trifluoro compound [FAlN(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)]3 3THF 4 and [Me2SnN(2,6-i-Pr2C6H3)]2 5 as a by-product. The core of compound 5 consists of a tin–nitrogen fourmembered Sn2N2 ring. # 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.