Aluminium trichloride layer

Suspend 4-f-butylcalix[4]arene (1.5 g, 2.0 mmol) and phenol (0.28 g, 3.0 mmol) in toluene (30 mL) in a two-necked round-bottomed flask (125 mL) with an inlet providing a flux of inert gas and an outlet fitted with a calcium chloride guard tube. Add anhydrous aluminium trichloride (1.5 g, 11 mmol), which clarifies the suspension slightly, and stir for 4h. During this time the mixture turns from colourless to yellow then orange. A red oil may be observed to separate. After 4 h, add hydrochloric acid (65 mL of a 1m aqueous solution) and continue to stir vigorously for a further 1 h. Ensure that all the sticky red oil is removed from the sides of the vessel and is stirred into the biphasic solution. It may be necessary to use a spatula to free this material. The upper aromatic layer will turn yellow and solids will precipitate out within it. Once all the oil has been stirred to yield a powdery product, leave the mixture to settle for 20 min. Separate the upper organic... 

Aluminium trichloride supported on layered graphite effectively catalyses the production of Ambrelux (e.g. equation 4.41) [160]. 

Many three-dimensional polymeric substances are particularly refractory, insoluble and unreactive. One- and two-dimensional polymers tend to be more soluble. For example, dichlorides and trichlorides of the 3d elements are generally quite soluble in weakly-polar organic solvents such as alcohols, ethers and ketones. The driving force here is the formation of complexes with the solvent molecules. These compounds are also soluble in water, with some degree of hydrolysis. Aluminium(III) chloride (which has a layer structure similar to that of CrCl3) dissolves in some non polar organic solvents, such as benzene, in which it forms A12C16 dimers. 

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