Aluminium phenolate is the metalloorganic compound with the formula l(OC₆H₅)₃sub>n. It is a white solid. ²⁷Al

NMR Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is a physical phenomenon in which nuclei in a strong constant magnetic field are perturbed by a weak oscillating magnetic field (in the near field) and respond by producing an electromagnetic signal with ...

studies suggest that aluminium phenolate exists in

benzene Benzene is an organic chemical compound with the molecular formula C6H6. The benzene molecule is composed of six carbon atoms joined in a planar ring with one hydrogen atom attached to each. Because it contains only carbon and hydrogen atoms, ...

solution as a mixture of

dimer Dimer may refer to: * Dimer (chemistry), a chemical structure formed from two similar sub-units ** Protein dimer, a protein quaternary structure ** d-dimer * Dimer model, an item in statistical mechanics, based on ''domino tiling'' * Julius Dimer ...

and trimer. The compound is can be prepared by the reaction of elemental aluminium with

phenol Phenol (also called carbolic acid) is an aromatic organic compound with the molecular formula . It is a white crystalline solid that is volatile. The molecule consists of a phenyl group () bonded to a hydroxy group (). Mildly acidic, it req ...

: :Al + 3 HOC₆H₅ → Al(OC₆H₅)₃ + 1.5 H₂ The compound is used as a

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

for the

alkylation Alkylation is the transfer of an alkyl group from one molecule to another. The alkyl group may be transferred as an alkyl carbocation, a free radical, a carbanion, or a carbene (or their equivalents). Alkylating agents are reagents for effecting ...

of phenols with various alkenes. For example, the ethylphenols are generated commercially by treating phenol with

ethylene Ethylene (IUPAC name: ethene) is a hydrocarbon which has the formula or . It is a colourless, flammable gas with a faint "sweet and musky" odour when pure. It is the simplest alkene (a hydrocarbon with carbon-carbon double bonds). Ethylene i ...

in the presence of a catalytic amount of aluminium phenolate.{{Ullmann , doi=10.1002/14356007.a19_313, title=Phenol Derivatives, year=2000, last1=Fiege, first1=Helmut, last2=Voges, first2=Heinz-Werner, last3=Hamamoto, first3=Toshikazu, last4=Umemura, first4=Sumio, last5=Iwata, first5=Tadao, last6=Miki, first6=Hisaya, last7=Fujita, first7=Yasuhiro, last8=Buysch, first8=Hans-Josef, last9=Garbe, first9=Dorothea, last10=Paulus, first10=Wilfried, isbn=3527306730

Related compounds

* Aluminium isopropoxide

References

Phenolates Aluminium compounds