New Complex Cations of Aluminum( III ) and Gallium( III )

Tris(3,5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)hydridoborate [HB(pz*)3]⊖, formally a cyclopentadienide analogue, reacted with AlCl3 and GaCl3 to afford the cations [{HB(pz*)3}2M]⊕ 1, but with InCl3 to give the neutral [HB(pz*)3]InCl2. 1, M = Ga, has two parallel N3 planes–in agreement with the expectation that [(C5H5)2Ga]⊖ should be a sandwich compound with parallel rings.