Chemistry:Tungsten(IV) chloride

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Tungsten(IV) chloride
WCl4.jpg
Names
Other names
tungsten tetrachloride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
EC Number
  • 629-145-3
Properties
Cl4W
Molar mass 325.65 g·mol−1
Appearance black solid
Density 4.62 g·cm−3
Melting point 450 °C (842 °F; 723 K)
Hazards
GHS pictograms GHS05: CorrosiveGHS07: Harmful
GHS Signal word Danger
H302, H314
P260, P264, P270, P280, P301+312, P301+330+331, P303+361+353, P304+340, P305+351+338, P310, P321, P330, P363, P405, P501
Related compounds
Other anions
Tungsten(IV) fluoride
Related compounds
Tungsten(V) chloride
Tungsten hexachloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

Tungsten(IV) chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula WCl4. It is a diamagnetic black solid. The compound is of interest in research as one of a handful of binary tungsten chlorides.

Structure and preparation

WCl4 is usually prepared by reduction tungsten hexachloride. Many reductants have been reported, including red phosphorus, tungsten hexacarbonyl, gallium, tin, and antimony. The latter is reported to be optimal:[1]

[math]\displaystyle{ \mathrm{3 \ WCl_6 + 2 \ Sb \longrightarrow 3 \ WCl_4 + 2 \ SbCl_3} }[/math]

Like most binary metal halides, WCl4 is polymeric. It consists of linear chains of tungsten atoms each in octahedral geometry. Of six chloride ligands attached to each W center, four are bridging ligands. The W-W separations are alternatingly bonding (2.688 Å) and nonbonding (3.787 Å).

Reactions

Reduction of tungsten(IV) chloride with sodium yields the ditungsten(III) heptachloride derivative:[2]

2 WCl4 + 5 thf + 2 Na → [Na(thf)3][W2Cl7(thf)2] + NaCl

References

  1. Zhou, Yibo; Kolesnichenko, Vladimir; Messerle, Louis (2014). "Crystalline and Amorphous Forms of Tungsten Tetrachloride". Inorganic Syntheses: Volume 36. Inorganic Syntheses. 36. pp. 30–34. doi:10.1002/9781118744994.ch6. ISBN 9781118744994. 
  2. Broderick, Erin M.; Browne, Samuel C.; Johnson, Marc J. A. (2014). Dimolybdenum and Ditungsten Hexa(Alkoxides). Inorganic Syntheses. 36. pp. 95–102. doi:10.1002/9781118744994.ch18. ISBN 9781118744994.