Aluminum alkyl-tertiary amine complex was found to induce the catalytic dimerization of methyl crotonate (MCr) to dimethyl 2-methylpent-4-ene-1, 3-dicarboxylate (1) and dimethyl 2- methylpent-cis-3-ene-1, 3-dicarboxylate (2). The of the γ-hydrogen of the MCr molecule. Dimer 2 is formed through the isomerization of dimer 1. The complex of AlR3 with a bidentate ligand, sparteine, produces dimer 1, selectively. The complex of AlR3 with ...