Aluminium, gallium and indium complexes supported by a chiral phenolato-prolinolato dianionic ligand

International audienceCongeneric complexes (S)-_OO_ MCH2 SiMe3 (M = Al, 3; Ga, 5; In, 6) of the triel metals supported by an enantiomerically pure phenolato-alkoxo _OO₍2-) dianionic tridentate ligand derived from prolinol, along with their chloro derivatives, have been prepared and characterised. The aluminium-alkyl species (S)-_OO_ AlMe and 3 form four-coordinate complexes with slightly distorted tetrahedral geometries, whereas the geometry in the Lewis acidic five-coordinate (S)-_OO_ GaCl.THF is a distorted trigonal bipyramid. These alkyl complexes do not react cleanly, if at all, with protic sources. The indium(III) compound 6, which is for instance inert towards iPrOH or BnOH even after hours at 70 degrees C, catalyses at 95 degrees C the controlled, immortal ring-opening polymerisation of racemic lactide (up to 1000 equivalents) in the presence of excess BnOH as a chain transfer agent. It affords atactic, mono-disperse polylactides with predictable molecular weights