Tungsten(V) chloride

Tungsten(V) chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula W₂Cl₁₀. This compound is analogous in many ways to the more familiar molybdenum pentachloride.

Tungsten(V) chloride

Tungsten(V) chloride
Names
Other names tungsten pentachloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	13470-14-9 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image Interactive image
ChemSpider	122992
ECHA InfoCard	100.235.076
EC Number	807-430-5
PubChem CID	139469
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID90158867
InChI InChI=1S/5ClH.W/h5*1H;/q;;;;;+5/p-5 Key: WIDQNNDDTXUPAN-UHFFFAOYSA-I InChI=1S/5ClH.W/h5*1H;/q;;;;;+5/p-5
SMILES Cl[W](Cl)(Cl)(Cl)Cl Cl1[W](Cl)(Cl)(Cl)(Cl)Cl[W]1(Cl)(Cl)(Cl)Cl
Properties
Chemical formula	W2Cl10
Molar mass	361.1 g/mol
Appearance	black crystals hygroscopic
Density	3.86 g/cm3
Melting point	248 °C (478 °F; 521 K)
Boiling point	275.6 °C (528.1 °F; 548.8 K)
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	+387.0·10−6 cm3/mol
Hazards
GHS labelling:[1]
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H302, H314
Related compounds
Related compounds	Tungsten(IV) chloride Tungsten hexachloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

Synthesis

The material is prepared by reduction of tungsten hexachloride. One method involves the use of tetrachloroethylene as the reductant^[2]

2 WCl₆ + C₂Cl₄ → W₂Cl₁₀ + C₂Cl₆

The blue green solid is volatile under vacuum and slightly soluble in nonpolar solvents. The compound is oxophilic and is highly reactive toward Lewis bases.

When the same reduction is conducted in the presence of tetraphenylarsonium chloride, one obtains instead the hexachlorotungstate(V) salt:^[3]

2 WCl₆ + Cl₂C=CCl₂ + 2 (C₆H₅)₄AsCl → 2 (C₆H₅)₄As[WCl₆] + Cl₃C−CCl₃

Structure

The compound exists as a dimer, with a pair of octahedral tungsten(V) centres bridged by two chloride ligands. The W---W separation is 3.814 Å, which is non-bonding. The compound is isostructural with Nb₂Cl₁₀ and Mo₂Cl₁₀. The compound evaporates to give trigonal bipyramidal WCl₅ monomers.^[4]