Linear coordination polymers based on aluminum phosphates: synthesis, crystal structure and morphology

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Aluminum organophosphates are versatile compounds with potential applications in material synthesis.
• Understanding their structural properties and reactivity is crucial for developing new materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel aluminum tris(diorganophosphates).
• To investigate the crystal structure and intermolecular interactions of these compounds.
• To explore their potential application in the synthesis of epoxy nanocomposites.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of aluminum tris(diorganophosphates).
• Characterization using elemental analysis, NMR, FT-IR, Raman spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction for detailed structural analysis.

Main Results:

• Several aluminum tris(diorganophosphates) were successfully synthesized and characterized.
• Aluminum tris(diethylphosphate) exhibits a crystal structure with two nonequivalent catena-Al[O2P(OEt)2]3 chains, forming hexagonal domains.
• PXRD data indicate similar structures for homologues, with interchain distances dependent on organic ligands.
• Compounds undergo reversible dissociation into ionic species upon reaction with primary amines.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized aluminum tris(diorganophosphates) possess unique structural features and tunable interchain distances.
• Their reversible dissociation in the presence of primary amines offers a pathway for controlled material synthesis.
• This reactivity is a promising avenue for the development of advanced epoxy nanocomposites.