FT-RAMAN SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY OF ALUMINUM(III) CHLORIDE IN ACETONITRILE AND DICHLOROMETHANE SOLUTIONS CONTAINING WATER

The FT-Raman spectra of aluminium(III) chloride in acetonitrile contai ning measured amounts of water over the molar ratio range AlCl3/H2O of 80:1 to 1:2.5 were analysed. The presence of Al-Cl bonding in coordin ated species such as AlCl(CH3CN)(x)(2+) and AlCl4(CH3CN)(y)(-) was con firmed, even when there was theoretically enough water present to hydr olyse the Al-Cl bonds. No spectroscopic evidence was obtained for the presence of alloxanes or other Al-O species in the solutions in the co ncentration range studied. The observation of coloured species for the dichloromethane systems was noted for the first time, but these were too unstable for spectroscopic analysis.