Chlorine tetroxide

Chlorine tetroxide is an unstable chlorine oxide with the chemical formula ClO₄.

Chlorine tetroxide

Names
IUPAC name Tetraoxidochlorine
Identifiers
CAS Number	12133-63-0 N[1]
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:29420
ChemSpider	4574089
Gmelin Reference	239881
PubChem CID	5460591
InChI InChI=1S/ClO4/c2-1(3,4)5 Key: UXZQWBXGIHHEHG-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES O=Cl(=O)(=O)[O]
Properties
Chemical formula	ClO4
Molar mass	99.45 g mol−1
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

History

Gomberg's mistaken 1923 production

In 1923, chemist Moses Gomberg proposed a production method of chlorine tetroxide. He claimed that treating iodine and silver perchlorate in anhydrous diethyl ether produced it.^[2]

I₂ + 2 AgClO₄ → 2 AgI + (ClO₄)₂

However, later researchers claimed that the product was iodine perchlorate.^[3] So far, however, there is no certain evidence for the existence of iodine perchlorate either.

Eachus' 1968 production

In 1968, Eachus synthesized it by exposing potassium chlorate to gamma rays at 77 K. It is a reaction intermediate of the decomposition of dichlorine heptoxide.^{[citation needed]}

Properties

The electron affinity energy of chlorine tetroxide can be figured out using the Born–Haber cycle and the lattice energy data of perchlorates. It is about 561 kJ/mol.^[4]

The structure of chlorine tetroxide is uncertain; the molecular point group may be C_s, C_2v, or T_d.^[5]

In a solid oxygen matrix ClO₄ reacts to form ClO₆Cl, which has three double bonded oxygen atoms, and a chain of three oxygen atoms -O-O-O^• attached to the chlorine.^[5]