Contrasting the Reactivity of Ethylene and Propylene with P/Al and P/B Frustrated Lewis Pairs

Frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs) derived from R 3 P (R = o tol, Mes) and B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 or AlX 3 (X = halide, C 6 F 5 ) add to ethylene. Similarly, the P/B FLP adds across propylene, whereas the P/Al systems react with propylene to effect propylene dimerization via a C–H bond activation and C–C bond formation, affording an Al-bound 2-methylpentene complex.