Some tetrahydroborate derivatives of aluminium: Crystal structures of dimethylaluminium tetrahydroborate and the alpha and beta phases of aluminium tris(tetrahydroborate) at low temperature

Journal article

The structures of several aluminium tetrahydroborates have been investigated, primarily by X-ray diffraction of single crystals at low temperatures. The structure of dimethylaluminium tetrahydroborate has been shown to consist of helical polymeric chains in which Me2Al and BH4 units alternate. The BH4 groups exhibit bidentate ligation with respect to each of the adjacent metal atoms in a manner reminiscent of [MeZnBH4] and Be(BH4)2. Solid aluminium tris(tetrahydroborate) exists in two phases with a transition temperature in the range 180-195 K. Each phase is made up of discrete Al(BH4)3 units in which the angle between AlB2 and Al(μ-H)2 B planes is close to 90° and which conform within the limits of experimental error to D3h symmetry; in the α phase these molecular units are disposed around a 21 crystallographic screw axis.

Authors: Aldridge, S; Blake, A; Downs, A; Gould, R; Parsons, S

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-DALTON TRANSACTIONS
• Issue: 6
• Pages: 1007-1012
• Publication date: 1997-03-21
• DOI: 10.1039/a607843e
• EISSN: 1364-5447
• ISSN: 0300-9246