Some tetrahydroborate derivatives of aluminium: crystal structures of dimethylaluminium tetrahydroborate and the α and β phases of aluminium tris(tetrahydroborate) at low temperature

Abstract

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)₂B planes is close to 90° and which conform within the limits of experimental error to D_3h symmetry; in the α phase these molecular units are disposed around a 2₁ crystallographic screw axis.

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