Polymerization processes in Al(OBu(s))3 sol-gel solutions: An investigation by laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

The hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions of Al(OBu(s))3 have been studied by laser desorption/ionization (LDI), performed on the solid samples originating from different aluminum alkoxide solutions, prepared using the usual operating conditions employed in the sol-gel synthesis of Al2O3-based materials. CHCl3, CH3OH and CH3OH/H2O mixture were used as solvents. In the latter case different H2O/Al(OBu(s))3 molar ratios were adopted, i.e. 1:1, 1:2, and 1:4. The obtained hydrolysis and polycondensation species consist of polynuclear species containing < or =12 aluminum atoms. In the CHCl3 solutions, the formation of the observed hydrolysis products has been ascribed to the reaction with water present in the atmosphere during the LDI sample preparation and/or present at trace level in the solvent. When methanol is used as a solvent, extensive methanolysis reactions take place, thus originating oligomers with CH3O and OH substituents. The kinetics of formation of the various polynuclear species are dependent on the reaction environment and the reaction is faster in the presence of methanol. It is worth noticing that, regardless of the hydrolysis process, the polycondensation products can be considered as originating from a common tetrameric core Al4O4(OBu)2(OH)2] around which different building blocks are condensed to form various oxo-polymeric species.