Triflic Acid - 18-8-2021 at 06:22
Found a paper that suggests that NaAlCl4 can be electrolyzed in Propylene carbonate to form sodium metal. NaCl is insoluble in Prop Carbonate, so it
can't be used. So, as far as I've read, it can be made by mixing solutions of NaCl and AlCl3 to and then heating the product to dryness. Since I am
making sodium, I need there to be no water attached to the molecule, whether as a ligand or hydrate. So, does NaAlCl4 form any hydrates/water ligands?
Bedlasky - 18-8-2021 at 06:52
I doubt that you can make anhydrous product from aqueous solution.
Texium - 18-8-2021 at 07:25
Bedlasky's doubts are well-supported. It is made by melting together sodium chloride and anhydrous aluminum chloride. Hydrous aluminum chloride is an
entirely different chemical species.
Triflic Acid - 18-8-2021 at 07:35
If I am not wrong, somewhere in a thread, blogfast25 (where did he go?) prepared pottasium tetrachloroaluminate via the "wet process" Thread: http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=29683
Full quote
"
One pot method: 0.1 mol clean Al scrap + 20 % excess of HCl 37 % + stoichiometric amount of KCl. Heat slowly, reaction is highly exothermic when it
starts. To dissolve the last stubborn bits of Al I had to add a bit more HCl. Then simmered it down to about half the initial volume. Crystals
immediately appeared when I stopped heating. Cool, then chill and collect. Dry at 200 C for about 1 h - 2 h.
Al(s) + 3 HCl(aq) + KCl(aq) === > KAlCl<sub>4</sub>(aq) + 3/2 H<sub>2</sub>(aq)
"
So, how does this look? I'll do it with NaCl instead, but it should be similar.
Texium - 18-8-2021 at 08:43
Looks like I was rather interested in that procedure 7 years ago, though I never attempted it, and I’m a bit more skeptical of it now. 
Did you read the whole thread, or just the first post? On the second page there are concerns raised that blogfast’s literature sources may not be
accurate, and that the salts do indeed form hydrates. This is also supported by the eEROS entry on sodium tetrachloroaluminate (download it from
Sci-Hub if you want to see it yourself), which cites preparing it from the melt of anhydrous aluminum chloride and sodium chloride, and mentions a
vigorous reaction of the resulting material with water.
Additionally, it is worth noting that the “wet” procedure may not work for the sodium salt in the same way. Oftentimes, complex ions such as this
are not conveniently precipitated by the smaller alkali metals, and require the use of potassium, rubidium, or cesium to prepare good crystals, while
the sodium analog may remain dissolved in solution, and attempts to crystallize it will result in a mixture of NaCl and aluminum chloride hydrates.