Triethylindium is an
organometallic
Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and so ...
compound. Its chemical formula is .
Synthesis
This compound can be obtained by reacting
indium(III) chloride
Indium(III) chloride is the chemical compound with the formula In Cl3. This salt is a white, flaky solid with applications in organic synthesis as a Lewis acid. It is also the most available soluble derivative of indium.
Synthesis and structur ...
with a
diethyl ether
Diethyl ether, or simply ether, is an organic compound in the ether class with the formula , sometimes abbreviated as (see Pseudoelement symbols). It is a colourless, highly volatile, sweet-smelling ("ethereal odour"), extremely flammable liq ...
solution of
ethyl magnesium chloride:
: + 3 → In(C
2H
5)
3 + 3
Other routes are also known.
Properties
Indium triethyl is a colorless, toxic, oxidation and hydrolysis-sensitive liquid. It is a monomer in the gaseous and dissolved state. The compound reacts with
halomethanes Halomethane compounds are derivatives of methane () with one or more of the hydrogen atoms replaced with halogen atoms ( F, Cl, Br, or I). Halomethanes are both naturally occurring, especially in marine environments, and human-made, most notably ...
to form diethyl indium halides.
Triethylindium is highly reactive with water:
:In(C
2H
5)
3 + → In(C
2H
5)
2OH + ↑
Applications
Indium triethyl is used to prepare
indium phosphide
Indium phosphide (InP) is a binary semiconductor composed of indium and phosphorus. It has a face-centered cubic ("zincblende") crystal structure, identical to that of GaAs and most of the III-V semiconductors.
Manufacturing
Indium phosphide ca ...
layers for
microelectronics
Microelectronics is a subfield of electronics. As the name suggests, microelectronics relates to the study and manufacture (or microfabrication) of very small electronic designs and components. Usually, but not always, this means micrometre-sc ...
.
See also
*
Trimethylindium
Trimethylindium, often abbreviated to TMI or TMIn, is the organoindium compound with the formula In(CH3)3. It is a colorless, pyrophoric solid. Unlike trimethylaluminium, but akin to trimethylgallium, TMI is monomeric.
Preparation
TMI is prepared ...
References
{{Indium compounds
Indium compounds
Organometallic compounds