The complexes [(
1:
1-ind)(
![](/images/entities/mgr.gif)
-M)R
2]
2 (R = Me, M = Ga (
1); R = Me, M = Al (
2); R = Et, M = B(
3)) were prepared by treatment of indazole with MR
3 in toluene. These have dimeric molecular structures,with the indazolato ligands coordinated in a
1:
1 fashion. In solution, complexes
1 and
2 show a mixtureof syn and anti isomers in a 3:5 ratio, respectively; however, in the solid state the anti isomers can beselectively crystallized in toluene and the syn isomers in benzene. These complexes constitute the firstexamples of organoaluminum and organogallium complexes for which both isomers observed in solutioncan be selectively crystallized. In contrast with
1 and
2, for boron complex
3 only the anti isomer wasobserved in solution and in the solid state. Results from theoretical calculations at the B3LYP/6-31G*level and NBO analyses were performed to gain insight into the nature of the metal-ligand bond andinto the question of whether
![](/images/gifchars/pi.gif)
-
![](/images/gifchars/pi.gif)
interactions in the crystal packing play an important role in the molecularstructure of the isomer crystallized.