Interaction of aluminum salts with lithium hydroxide in aqueous solution

The synthesis of layered compound [LiAl2(OH)6]Cl . mH(2)O by the reaction of an aluminum chloride solution with a saturated lithium hydroxide solution at pH less than or equal to 7 is described. It is shown that the reaction begins in a low pH range and proceeds mainly at pH 1-3. It is supposed that the formation of [LiAl2(OH)(6)]Cl . mH(2)O occurs via the interaction between LiOH and aluminum hydroxo complexes in solution rather than through the formation of an intermediate phase of amorphous aluminum hydroxide. It is shown that other compounds of the general formula [LiAl2(OH)(6)]X-+(1/z)z- . mH(2)O (where Xz- denotes anions like NO3- and SO42-, and z is the anion charge) can be synthesized using the corresponding aluminum salts.