R₂Al-CH₂-OR'R₂Al-OR' + H₂C:

We are interested in the aggregation types of these compounds. The simplest representatives are dimers with six-membered MCXMCX rings.

Crystal structure of Me2GaCH2NMe2	Folie
Crystal structure of Me2AlCH2SMe	Folie

More complex aggregation types are found in systems derived from doubly lithiated aminals like Me₂AlCH₂N(Me)CH₂N(Me)AlMe₂, which adopt heteronorbornane structures.

Similarily, terminally dilithiated TMEDA can be reacted with dialkyl earth metal monohalides of different steric bulk to yield Metalla-DABCO structures.

Metalla-DABCOs from dilithiated TMEDA and Me2MCl:	Folie
Bulky Metalla-DABCOs from dilithiated TMEDA and tBu2MCl:	Folie

By contrast, reacting Dimethylaluminium chloride with terminally dilithated Dimethylpiperazine shows a different way of how such systems can saturate their coordination spheres. Rather than forming a three-membered ring, two additional molecules of Me₂AlCl are incorporated.

Bis-N,N'-(Me22AlCH2)piperazine-bis-Me2AlCl adduct	Folie

Such earth metal compounds are generally prepared from the corresponding lithium compounds. This requires the development of optimised and new preparation procedures for these starting materials. New lithiumorganic reagents are developed in the course of these investigations such as LiCH₂NⁱPr₂, which is the first donor solvent free -lithiated amine structurally characterised by X-ray diffraction.

Crystal structure of LiCH2N(iPr)2	Folie1 Folie2

Polyfunctional lithiated and metallated amines are also under investigation including e.g.

Crystal structure	Folie

These polyfunctional molecules will be used as building blocks for supramolecular aggregates self assembled by the preferred interactions between hards and soft Lewis acids and bases.