Molecular structure of diethylaminoalane in the solid state: an X-ray powder diffraction, DFT calculation and Raman spectroscopy study

Abstract

The crystal structure of diethylaminoalane, [H2Al—N(C2H5)2]2, was determined by X-ray powder diffraction in conjunction with DFT calculations. Diethylaminoalane crystallizes in the monoclinic space groupP21/cwitha= 7.4020 (2),b= 12.9663 (3),c= 7.2878 (2) Å and β = 90.660 (2)° at 293 K. The crystal structure was confirmed by DFT calculations and Raman spectroscopy. The molecular structure of diethylaminoalane consists of dimers of [H2Al—N(CH2CH3)2] in which an Al2N2four-membered ring is formed by a center of inversion. Such an arrangement of the aminoalane moieties in the crystal structure is well known for this class of compound, as shown by the comparison with ethylmethylaminoalane and diisopropylaminoalane.