title: One-pot Solvothermal Synthesis of Well-ordered Layered Sodium Aluminoalcoholate Complex: A Useful Precursor for the Preparation of Porous Al2O3Particles.
abstract: One-pot solvothermal synthesis of a robust tetranuclear sodium hexakis(glycolato)tris(methanolato)aluminate complex Na3[Al4(OCH3)3(OCH2CH2O)6] via a modified yet rigorous base-catalyzed transesterification mechanism is presented here. Single crystal X-ray diffraction (SCXRD) studies indicate that this unique Al complex contains three penta-coordinate Al3+ions, each bound to two bidentate ethylene glycolate chelators and one monodentate methanolate ligand. The remaining fourth Al3+ion is octahedrally coordinated to one oxygen atom from each of the six surrounding glycolate chelators, effectively stitching the three penta-coordinate Al moieties together into a novel tetranuclear Al complex. This aluminate complex is periodically self-assembled into well-ordered layers normal to the [110] axis with the intra-/inter-layer bindings involving extensive ionic bonds from the three charge-counterbalancing Na+cations rather than the more typical hydrogen bonding interactions as a result of the fewer free hydroxyl groups present in its structure. It can also serve as a valuable precursor toward the facile synthesis of high-surface-area alumina powders using a very efficient rapid pyrolysis technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Xiansen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ; Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Vladimir K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Michaelis
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ; Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Ta-Chung
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Stacey J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology ; Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors.forename: Evelyn N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Wang