Aluminium-Mediated Carbon Dioxide Reduction by an Isolated Monoalumoxane Anion

The deoxygenative conversion of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide is promoted by the aluminyl anion [Al(NONAr)](-) (NONAr=[O(SiMe2NAr)(2)](2-), Ar=2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)). The reaction proceeds via the isolable monoalumoxane anion [Al(NONAr)(O)](-), containing a terminal aluminum-oxygen bond. This species reacts with a second equivalent of carbon dioxide to afford the carbonate [Al(NONAr)(CO3)](-), and with nitrous oxide to generate the hyponitrite anion, [Al(NONAr)(kappa O-2,O '-N2O2)](-).