Ionic, it's a metal and non metal.
This is true of the solid, Al atoms are surrounded by 6 Cl atoms, high coordination numbers are typical for ionic solids. In the vapour phase AlCl3 dimerises to form Al2Cl6 which is covalent, with chloride bridges- each aluminium has four chlorine atoms surrounding t. and achieves its "octet".
Ionic
Solid AlCl3 is ionic. Liquid and gaseous AlCl3 is present as a covalent dimer, Al2Cl6. At high temperatures the dimer dissociates to form the planar covalent monomer AlCl3.
In the solid- ionic with 6 coordinate indiumIn the melt it is a dimer, Al2Cl6, with covalent bondsIn the gas phase at high temperatures a Trigonal Pyramidal monomer AlCl3
In the presence of H2O, Al2Cl6 dissociates into hydrated Al3+ and Cl- ions due to high heat of hydration of these ions
AlCl3 is borderline for being ionic/covalent. When solid it is usually ionic. In vapor it is covalent. In this state 3 electrons from Al are shared with 3 Cl electrons. That makes only 6 electrons. To get to the very favorable 8 electron octet, it forms Al2Cl6 and thus the extra sharing from the dimer gives the necessary octet for all atoms.
Ionic compounds do not have prefixes but covalent compounds have prefixes. “Aluminum chloride” is a ionic compound and "boron tri-chloride” is a covalent compound.
Solid AlCl3 is ionic. Liquid and gaseous AlCl3 is present as a covalent dimer, Al2Cl6. At high temperatures the dimer dissociates to form the planar covalent monomer AlCl3.
In the solid- ionic with 6 coordinate indiumIn the melt it is a dimer, Al2Cl6, with covalent bondsIn the gas phase at high temperatures a Trigonal Pyramidal monomer AlCl3
In the presence of H2O, Al2Cl6 dissociates into hydrated Al3+ and Cl- ions due to high heat of hydration of these ions
AlCl3 is borderline for being ionic/covalent. When solid it is usually ionic. In vapor it is covalent. In this state 3 electrons from Al are shared with 3 Cl electrons. That makes only 6 electrons. To get to the very favorable 8 electron octet, it forms Al2Cl6 and thus the extra sharing from the dimer gives the necessary octet for all atoms.
Ionic compounds do not have prefixes but covalent compounds have prefixes. “Aluminum chloride” is a ionic compound and "boron tri-chloride” is a covalent compound.
Solubility in water0.56 g/100 mL (0 °C) 0.67 g/100 mL (20 °C) 1.72 g/100 mL (100 °C) AlF3 is soluble but not very. With two electro-negative heavy-weights like Al and F we would expect to see some covalent behavior.
Ionic compounds are salts or oxides as NaCl, LiF, MgCl2, MgO, UCl4, ThO2, CsCl, CaCl2, FeCl3, AlCl3.
AlCl3 is the compound aluminum chloride.
AlCl3 has simple covalent bonding because the aluminium cation is so small and highly charged (3+) that it has an extremely high charge density. This charge density distorts the electron cloud of the anions (Cl-) to such a large degree that the bonding is considered as covalent. This is why AlCl3 vapourises at room temperature, because it only has weak van der waal's intermolecular forces. Well I didn't write this! AlCl3 is a white crystalline solid with a melting point of 1920 It does NOT vapourise at room temperature! In the solid the aluminium has 6 chlorine atoms around it. The bonding is more ionic than covalent. At the melting point the structure changes to a dimer with a formula of Al2Cl6 with four chlorines around each aluminium atom. In this state the bonding is covalent.
AlCl3
This is an ionic compound.
ionic