New route to organoaluminium sulfides: synthesis of (Mes*AlS)2 (Mes* = -C6H2But3-2,4,6) and its dimethyl sulfoxide adduct [Mes*AlS(OSMe2)]2

Treatment of the alane (Mes*AlH2)2 (Mes* = -C6H2But3-2,4,6) with S(SiMe3)2 in refluxing toluene affords the novel organoaluminium sulfide (Mes*AlS)2 1 which has a previously unobserved dimeric structure; treatment of 1 with 2 equiv. of Me2SO furnishes the complex [Mes*AlS(OSMe2)]2 2 in which a dimeric configuration is retained, and which shows weak intermolecular interactions between neighboring dimers.