From crown ethers to zeolites: Reaction of EtAlCl2 with crown ethers

In contrast to aluminum alkyls, alkyl aluminum halides such as EtAlCl₂ react with crown ethers to form cation-anion pairs which exhibit the liquid clathrate effect. Specifically, 12-C-4·AlCl₂]AlCl₃Et] and 18-C-6·AlCl₂]AlCl₃Et] have been isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction techniques. The cations show aluminum in an octahedral environment made up of four of the oxygen atoms from the crown and two chlorine atoms. The 12-C-4 derivative crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2₁/c with cell constants of a=7.497(4), b=22.121(8), c=12.339(5) Å, =94.99(3)^o, and Z=4 for =1.43 g cm^–3. Least-squares refinement based on 1413 observed reflections led to a final conventional R value of 0.093. The 18-C-6 complex belongs to the triclinic space group P1 with a=8.414(4), b=12.193(6), c=12.394(6) Å, =73.14(4), =86.07(4), =81.52(4)^o, and Z=2 for =1.45 g cm^–3. Refinement based on 2605 observed reflections led to R=0.063. The complex aluminum-containing species are related to a class of compounds called aluminoxanes.