A highly hexane soluble lithium salt and other starting materials of the fluorinated weakly coordinating anion [Al{OC(CF3)(2)(CH2SiMe3)}(4)](-)

The lithium salt of the weakly coordinating alkoxyaluminate anion Li[Al(OC(CF3)(2)(CH2SiMe3))(4)] (2) is soluble in polar and even in non-polar solvents. Especially the solubility in n-hexane confirms 2 to be an excellent candidate for Li ion catalysis. Its polymeric structure consists of a seven coordinated Li+ cation, coordinating a [Al(OC(CF3)(2)(CH2SiMe3)](-) anion that serves as hexadentate O2F4 ligand and a further bridging F atom of a second anion. Compound 2 reacts with ClCPh3 giving the [CPh3](+) salt which is at least stable in CD2Cl2 over days at 298 K, but decomposes after storage at 333 K for several days.