The Book of Traces

Organoaluminum compounds possessing a vinylic aluminaoxacyclopentane moiety are described. They are prepared by reacting a nonionic organoaluminum compound possessing an aluminacyclopentene moiety with an aldehyde or ketone in the presence of a stable Lewis base. The compounds possessing the vinylic aluminoxacyclopentane moiety yield on hydrolysis olefinically unsaturated alcohols. Oxidation of the moiety followed by hydrolysis yields olefinically unsaturated diols.