Lewis acid catalysed polymerisation of cyclopentenone.

A modest structural change of a β-diketiminate-supported aluminium complex leads to dramatic differences in the reactivity towards cyclopentenone. While the bulkier complex efficiently executes Diels Alder transformations the smaller analogue performs unique polymerisation of this substrate. This observation appears to be unprecedented in the chemistry of Lewis acids and cyclic dienophiles as it represents a unique way to polymerise a functionalised olefin.

Synthesis, characterisation and reactivity studies of chiral β-diketiminate-like supported aluminium Lewis acid complexes towards difficult Diels Alder cycloadditions.

Synthesis and characterisation of several chiral, oxazoline containing β-diketiminate type ligand supported-aluminium compounds are reported. Together with 1 equiv. of Na(BAr) (Ar = 3,5-Cl-CH), these chiral Lewis acid complexes, which possess an " and " have been successfully utilised as catalysts in asymmetric Diels-Alder reactions of 1,3-cyclohexadiene and several different chalcones.