SYNTHESES, PROPERTIES AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES OF IONIC [AL-2(MU,ETA(2)-THFFO)(2)(ETOH)(4)CL-2]CL-2, [AL-3(MU,ETA(2)-THFFO)(4)CL-4][ALETCL3] AND TETRANUCLEAR [AL-4(MU,ETA(2)-THFFO)(4)(MU-OET)(2)CL-6] (THFFO = OCH2CH(CH2)(3)O) COMPOUNDS

The furyloxo-O,O')tetraethanoldichlorodialuminium(III) dichlorate [Al- 2(mu,eta(2)-thffo)(2)(EtOH)(4)Cl-2]Cl-2 (1), tetra-mu- trahydrofurylox o-O,O')tetrachlorotrialuminium(III) trichloroethylo aluminate(III) dic hloromethane(1/1), [Al-3(mu,eta(2)thffo)(4)Cl-4][AlEtCl3] . CH2C2 (2) salts are synthesized in direct reaction of AlCl3(THF)(2) with Nathffo and AlEtCl2 with thffo in THF or benzene, respectively. The addition of AlCl3(THF)(2) to the Mg(thffo)(2) results in the formation of tetra kis-mu-(2-tetrahydrofuryloxo-O,O') di-mu-ethoxo-hexachlorotetraalumini um(III) tetrahydrofuran (1/1) [Al-4(mu,eta(2)-thffo)(4)(mu-OEt)(2)Cl-6 ] . THF (3) species. Compound 1 crystallized in the space group P2(1)/ n, with a = 8.615(2), b = 16.445(3), c = 10.052(2) Angstrom and beta = 90.53(3)degrees. Compound 2 belongs to the C2/c space group with a = 32.046(5), b = 14.255(3), c = 15.443(3) Angstrom and beta = 123.85(3)d egrees. Crystals of 3 are triclinic, space group P (1) over bar, a = 1 0.365(2), b = 10.854(2), c = 11.880(3) Angstrom and alpha = 70.40(2), beta = 65.19(2), gamma = 80.18(2)degrees. The centrosymmetric cation o f the salt 1, in the crystalline state is a dimer composed of two octa hedra related by a crystallographic inversion centre and sharing an ed ge. The [Al-3(mu,eta(2)-thffo)(4)Cl-4](+) cation of the species 2 is a centrosymmetrical with an aluminium-oxygen framework, which consists of the central octahedral atom linked to two five-coordinate aluminium sites by mu-alkoxo bridges. The structure of 3 includes two five-coor dinate and two six-coordinate Al atoms linked by mu-alkoxo bridges to form tetranuclear chains with a symmetry center. (C) 1998 Elsevier Sci ence S.A.