ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Influence of water on conductivity of aluminum halide solutions in acetonitrile

L. Lux

Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Metallurgy, Technical University, CS-043 85 Košice

Abstract:  Equilibria of the substitution and association reactions of AICI₃ and AlBr₃ with acetonitrile were investigated by measuring the conductivity of solutions at varying concentrations of AlCl₃, AlBr₃, and water in the acetonitrile solution. Both halides behave in acetonitrile in the absence of water as relatively strong electrolytes. It has been revealed that water displaces acetonitrile from the solvate sphere of cation of both halides. As for AlBr₃, the bromide ion is also displaced from the coordination sphere of aluminium and replaced by a neutral water molecule, which simultaneously results in an increased number of ionized particles in solution. The hydrate AlX₃ .6H₂O was identified as final product which separates from the solution by adding water.

Full paper in Portable Document Format: 375a623.pdf

Chemical Papers 37 (5) 623–632 (1983)