Aluminium cyanide
{{Chembox
| IUPACName =
| Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers
| ChemSpiderID = 19984794
| PubChem = 21122287
| SMILES = [C-]#N.[C-]#N.[C-]#N.[Al+3]
| StdInChI =1S/3CN.Al/c3*1-2;/q3*-1;+3
| StdInChIKey = BIABJQLRIVAXSJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
| CASNo = 87993-97-3
| CASNo_Ref = {{cascite|correct|CAS}}
}}
| Section2 = {{Chembox Properties
| Al=1|C=3|N=3
| Appearance = white solid
| Solubility = Reacts
}}
}}
Aluminium cyanide is a metallic cyanide with a chemical formula of Al(CN)3.{{cite journal |last1=Bergstrom |first1=F. W. |title=The Reaction Between Mercuric Cyanide and Certain Metals in Liquid Ammonia |journal=Journal of the American Chemical Society |date=July 1924 |volume=46 |issue=7 |pages=1559–1568 |doi=10.1021/ja01672a002}} It is a white solid that undergoes hydrolysis to produce aluminium hydroxide and hydrogen cyanide.{{cite journal |author1=Axel Schulz |author2=Jonas Surkau |title=Main group cyanides: from hydrogen cyanide to cyanido-complexes |journal=Reviews in Inorganic Chemistry |date=2022 |volume=43 |issue=1 |pages=49–188 |doi=10.1515/revic-2021-0044 |language=en|doi-access=free }}
Synthesis and properties
Aluminium cyanide was first produced in 1924 as its ammoniate, Al(CN)3·5NH3, by reacting aluminium metal and mercury(II) cyanide in liquid ammonia to prevent hydrolysis.
:2 Al + 3 Hg(CN)2 → 2 Al(CN)3 + 3 Hg
When the ammoniate contacts water, it produces aluminium hydroxide, ammonia, and ammonium cyanide.
The compound was produced in 2001 by the reaction of lithium tetrachloroaluminate and trimethylsilyl cyanide in diethyl ether. Its atoms form a lattice, and X-ray crystallography shows that its crystals form an octahedral Prussian-blue-like structure.{{cite journal |author1=Darrick Williams |author2=Brett Pleune |author3=Kurt Leinenweber |author4=J. Kouvetakis |title=Synthesis and Structural Properties of the Binary Framework C–N Compounds of Be, Mg, Al, and Tl |journal=Journal of Solid State Chemistry |date=2001 |volume=159 |issue=1 |pages=244–250 |doi=10.1006/jssc.2001.9192 |bibcode=2001JSSCh.159..244W |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Aluminium compounds}}
{{Cyanides}}
{{Inorganic-compound-stub}}