Lithium 3-triphenylmethoxy-1-trans-alkenyl-dialkyl alanates

Compounds of the formula:

• ##EQU22## wherein R' is an alkyl group having from 1 to 10 carbon atoms which may be different when t is greater than one;
• R is selected from the group consisting of a straight chain alkyl group having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, a straight chain alkyl group having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and substituted with one or two alkyl groups having from one to three carbon atoms, a straight chain alkenylmethyl group having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms and a straight chain alkenylmethyl group having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms and substituted with one or two alkyl groups having between them 2 to 5 carbon atoms;
• W is selected from a group consisting of lower alkyl, triphenylmethyl, triphenylmethyl in which one or two of the phenyl rings is substituted with a lower alkoxy group, tetrahydropyranyl, .alpha.-(lower alkoxy) substituted lower alkyl and tri(lower alkyl)silyl;
• s is an integer having the value of one to three, inclusive, and t is an integer having the values of one to three, inclusive, with the proviso that the sum of s and t must be equal to four.