Triethylaluminium

The structure and bonding in Al2R6 and diborane are analogous (R = alkyl). Referring to Al2Me6, the Al-C(terminal) and Al-C(bridging) distances are 1.97 and 2.14 Å, respectively. The Al center is tetrahedral. The carbon atoms of the bridging ethyl groups are each surrounded by five neighbors: carbon, two hydrogen atoms and two aluminium atoms. The ethyl groups interchange readily intramolecularly. At higher temperatures, the dimer cracks into monomeric AlEt3. ==Synthesis and reactions==

Triethylaluminium can be formed via several routes. The discovery of an efficient route was a significant technological achievement. The multistep process uses aluminium, hydrogen gas, and ethylene, summarized as follows: :6 Al2Cl3Et3 + 18 Na → 3 Al2Et6 + 6 Al + 18 NaCl Reactivity The Al–C bonds of triethylaluminium are polarized to such an extent that the carbon is easily protonated, releasing ethane: :Al2Et6 + 6 HX → 2 AlX3 + 6 EtH For this reaction, even weak acids can be employed such as terminal acetylenes and alcohols. The linkage between the pair of aluminium centres is relatively weak and can be cleaved by Lewis bases (L) to give adducts with the formula AlEt3L: :Al2Et6 + 2 L → 2 LAlEt3 ==Applications==

Precursors to fatty alcohols Triethylaluminium is used industrially as an intermediate in the production of fatty alcohols, which are converted to detergents. The first step involves the oligomerization of ethylene by the Aufbau reaction, which gives a mixture of trialkylaluminium compounds (simplified here as octyl groups): :\ce{{1/2Al2Et6} + HCN ->}\ \tfrac 1 n \ce{[Et2AlCN]}_n + \ce{C2H6} Pyrophoric agent Triethylaluminium ignites on contact with air and will ignite and/or decompose on contact with water, and with any other oxidizer—it is one of the few substances sufficiently pyrophoric to ignite on contact with cryogenic liquid oxygen. The enthalpy of combustion, ΔcH°, is (–22.36 kJ/g). Its easy ignition makes it particularly desirable as a rocket engine ignitor. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket uses a triethylaluminium-triethylborane mixture as a first-stage ignitor. In this application it is known as TPA, for thickened pyrotechnic agent or thickened pyrophoric agent. The usual amount of the thickener is 6%. The amount of thickener can be decreased to 1% if other diluents are added. For example, n-hexane, can be used with increased safety by rendering the compound non-pyrophoric until the diluent evaporates, at which point a combined fireball results from both the triethylaluminium and the hexane vapors. The M202 was withdrawn from service in the mid-1980s owing to safety, transport, and storage issues. Some saw limited use in the Afghanistan War against caves and fortified compounds. == See also ==