Process for the preparation of trimethyl metal compounds
View Patent ↗Process for the production of a trimethyl metal compound with the formula M(CH 3 ) 3 , said process comprising the steps of (i) reacting a metal trihalide MX 3 with a trialkyl aluminium compound AI(R) 3 to form a trialkyl metal compound M(R)3 and a dialkyl aluminium halide AI(R) 2 X, and (ii) reacting said trialkyl metal compound M(R) 3 with either trimethyl aluminium [AI(CH 3 ) 3 ] or dimethylaluminium halide [AI(CH 3 ) 2 X] to form said trimethyl metal compound M(CH 3 ) 3 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Ga and In, X is a halogen, and R is a linear or branched alkyl group with 2 to 8 carbon atoms.
1. Process for the production of a trimethyl metal compound with the formula M(CH 3 ) 3 , said process comprising the steps of (i) reacting a metal trihalide MX 3 with a trialkyl aluminium compound Al(R) 3 to form a trialkyl metal compound M(R) 3 and a dialkyl aluminium halide Al(R) 2 X, and (ii) reacting said trialkyl metal compound M(R) 3 with either trimethyl aluminium [Al(CH 3 ) 3 ] or dimethylaluminium halide [Al(CH 3 ) 2 X] to form said trimethyl metal compound M(CH 3 ) 3 ,
wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Ga and In, X is a halogen, and R is a linear or branched alkyl group with 2 to 8 carbon atoms.
2. Process according to claim 1 wherein the process is conducted as a one-pot reaction, in which the metal trihalide MX 3 , the trialkyl aluminium Al(R) 3 , and either trimethyl aluminium or dimethylaluminium halide are added to a reactor to form the trimethyl metal compound M(CH 3 ) 3 .
3. Process according to claim 1 , wherein steps (i) and (ii) are conducted in distillation columns, connected in series.
4. Process according to claim 1 wherein the reaction is performed in continuous mode.
5. Process according to claim 1 wherein M is Ga.
6. Process according to claim 1 wherein R is selected from the group consisting of ethyl and linear or branched propyl and butyl groups.
7. Process according to claim 6 wherein R is selected from the group consisting of ethyl, n-propyl, n-butyl, and isobutyl.
8. Process according to claim 7 wherein R is ethyl.
9. Process according to claim 1 wherein step (ii) involves the reaction of trialkyl metal compound M(R) 3 with trimethyl aluminium (Al(CH 3 ) 3 ) to form the trimethyl metal compound M(CH 3 ) 3 and trialkyl aluminium Al(R) 3 .
10. Process according to claim 9 wherein the produced trialkyl aluminium is recycled to step (i) for the production of the trialkyl metal compound M(R) 3 .
11. Process according to claim 1 wherein the produced trimethyl metal compound M(CH 3 ) 3 is isolated from the reaction mixture by distillation or crystallisation.