Tungsten(IV) chloride

Tungsten(IV) chloride
Names
Other names
tungsten tetrachloride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.157.353 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 629-145-3
  • Key: YOUIDGQAIILFBW-UHFFFAOYSA-J
  • InChI=1S/4ClH.W/h4*1H;/q;;;;+4/p-4
  • Cl[W](Cl)(Cl)Cl
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 labelling:
GHS05: CorrosiveGHS07: Exclamation mark
Danger
H302, H314
P260, P264, P270, P280, P301+P312, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, 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).

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

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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]

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

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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

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  1. ^ Zhou, Yibo; Kolesnichenko, Vladimir; Messerle, Louis (2014). "Crystalline and Amorphous Forms of Tungsten Tetrachloride". Inorganic Syntheses: Volume 36. Vol. 36. pp. 30–34. doi:10.1002/9781118744994.ch6. ISBN 978-1-118-74499-4.
  2. ^ Broderick, Erin M.; Browne, Samuel C.; Johnson, Marc J. A. (2014). "Dimolybdenum and Ditungsten Hexa(Alkoxides)". Inorganic Syntheses: Volume 36. Vol. 36. pp. 95–102. doi:10.1002/9781118744994.ch18. ISBN 978-1-118-74499-4.