From Handwiki ![]() α-Tungsten hexachloride
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| IUPAC names
Tungsten hexachloride
Tungsten(VI) chloride | |||
| Identifiers | |||
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| Properties | |||
| WCl 6 | |||
| Molar mass | 396.54 g·mol−1 | ||
| Appearance | dark blue crystals, moisture sensitive | ||
| Density | 3.52 g/cm3 | ||
| Melting point | 275 °C (527 °F; 548 K) | ||
| Boiling point | 346.7 °C (656.1 °F; 619.8 K) | ||
| Hydrolyzes | |||
| Solubility in chlorocarbons | soluble | ||
| −71.0·10−6 cm3/mol | |||
| Structure | |||
| α:rhombohedral, β: hexagonal | |||
| Octahedral | |||
| 0 D | |||
| Hazards | |||
| Main hazards | oxidizer; hydrolysis releases HCl | ||
| Related compounds | |||
Other anions
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Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). | |||
| Infobox references | |||
Tungsten hexachloride is an inorganic chemical compound of tungsten and chlorine with the chemical formula WCl
6. This dark violet-blue compound exists as volatile crystals under standard conditions. It is an important starting reagent in the preparation of tungsten compounds.[1] Other examples of charge-neutral hexachlorides are rhenium(VI) chloride and molybdenum(VI) chloride. The highly volatile tungsten hexafluoride is also known.
As a d0 atom, tungsten hexachloride is diamagnetic.
Tungsten hexachloride can be prepared by chlorinating tungsten metal in a sealed tube at 600 °C:[2]
Tungsten hexachloride exists in both blue and red polymorphs, referred to respectively as α and β. The wine-red β can be obtained by rapid cooling, whereas the blue α form is more stable at room temperature. Although these polymorphs are distinctly colored, their molecular structures are very similar. Both polymorphs feature WCl
6 molecules that have octahedral geometry, in which all six W–Cl bonds are equivalent, and their length is equal to 224–226 pm. The densities are very similar: 3.68 g/cm3 for α and 3.62 g/cm3 for β. The low-temperature form is slightly more dense, as expected.[3]
Tungsten hexachloride is readily hydrolyzed, even by moist air, giving the orange oxychlorides WOCl
4 and WO
2Cl
2, and subsequently, tungsten trioxide. WCl
6 is soluble in carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, and phosphorus oxychloride.[2]
Methylation with trimethylaluminium affords hexamethyl tungsten:
Treatment with butyl lithium affords a reagent that is useful for deoxygenation of epoxides.[4]
The chloride ligands in WCl
6 can be replaced by many anionic ligands including: bromide, thiocyanate, alkoxide, alkyl and aryl.
Reduction of WCl
6 can be effected with a mixture of tetrachloroethylene and tetraphenylarsonium chloride:[5]
The W(V) hexachloride is a derivative of tungsten(V) chloride.
It reacts with arsenic or hydrogen arsenide to form tungsten diarsenide.[6][7]
WCl
6 is an aggressively corrosive oxidant, and hydrolyzes to release hydrogen chloride.
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Categories: [Tungsten halides] [Chlorides] [Octahedral compounds]