Aluminium Chloride is often regarded as a versatile chemical compound, and therefore finds application in many areas, especially in chemical reactions and synthesis. We will learn about the uses of aluminium chloride below.

AlCl3 is used mainly as a catalyst for different chemical reactions. It is used extensively in Friedel-Crafts reaction, including both acylations and alkylations. It is used for the preparation of anthraquinone from phosgene and benzene.

Aluminium chloride can be used to bring in or attach aldehyde groups on aromatic series or rings. For instance, if we look at the Gatterman-Koch reaction, the Lewis acid (aluminium chloride) is used to remove chloride ions from the species.

It is also used in polymerization and isomerization reactions of light molecular weight hydrocarbons. Some common examples include the production of dodecylbenzene for detergents.

Aluminium chloride can be mixed with aluminium along with arene to synthesise bis(arene) metal complexes.

Aluminium chloride also has a variety of other applications, especially in organic chemistry. For example, it is used to catalyse the “ene reaction”.We can take the case of the addition of (methyl vinyl ketone) 3-buten-2-one to carvone.

Aluminium chloride is used to induce a variety of hydrocarbon couplings and rearrangements.

Industrial Uses of Aluminium Chloride (AlCl3)

Aluminium chloride is used widely in manufacturing rubber, lubricants, wood preservatives, and paints.

It is used in pesticides and pharmaceuticals.

It is used as a flux in aluminium melting.

It is used as an antiperspirant.

It’s also used in manufacturing petrochemicals like ethylbenzene and alkylbenzene.