Structural diversity ranging from cyclic trimeric, tetrameric, hexameric to 1-D helix in dimethylgallium hydroxide

Abstract Structural diversity in dimethylgallium hydroxide noted on recrystallization from different solvents has been investigated by single crystal structural analysis. The conformation of the cyclic structures (tri- and tetra-nuclear) remains unchanged irrespective of the solvents used (benzene, hexane, hexane–dioxane mixtures) for crystallization. Higher nuclearity structures show intra-molecular hydrogen bonding in addition to inter-molecular hydrogen bonding. DFT calculations reveal that stability increases with the degree of oligomerization.