Monomeric selenolato- and tellurolato-aluminium(III) and -gallium(III)[Me3NM(ER)3](E = Se, Te; R = alkyl, aryl), via trimethylamine alane/gallane cleavage of diorgano-dichalcogens

The reaction of diorgano-dichalcogens (ER)2(E = Se or Te) with trimethylamine adducts of alane or gallane yields trimethylamine adducts of the tris(selenolato- or tellurolato-)metal (III) species [Me3NM(ER)3](M = Al, Ga; E = Se, Te; R = Et, Ph, CH2Ph); two of which have been structurally authenticated as four coordinate, monomeric species in the solid state.