Improved Liquid and Mixed Metal Activation for Organic Synthesis

This present application represents a revised immediate resubmission of EP/G00272X/1 (considered early June 2008) it was highly rated but insufficient funds were available to the prioritisation panel. Referee comments on the lead science in this application were very strong (e.g. 'most novel and refreshing proposal I haves seen', 'truly excellent ideas', 'outstanding', etc.) but the funding environment did not allow its support.We have found that catalytic liquid gallium can be used for highly efficient unprecedented metal activation allowing simplified rapid preparation of organometallics RM and metal hydrides. The technique allows formation of new unprecedented air-stable aryl alanes; direct use metal-mixtures for improved/efficient RX and hydrogen and amine activation to provide Al-hydrides [HAl(NR2)2] and [HAl(NR2)Cl] and the DABCO stabilized air-stable organometallics [(RnY3-n)2(DABCO)] (Y = I, NR2). These derived reagents are to be used in fast throughput (asymmetric) screening of 1,2-additions to FG-RCHO and imines; 1,4-additions to unsaturated acylcyanides; alkene and alkyne hydroalumination and their subsequent use in related processes.