Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Dichlorine hexoxide

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Formula
  
Cl2O6

Density
  
1.65 g/cm³

Melting point
  
3.5 °C

Molar mass
  
166.901 g/mol

Boiling point
  
200 °C

Appearance
  
red liquid

Dichlorine hexoxide wwwchemtube3dcomgalleryinorganicsjpgsCl2O6g

Dichlorine hexoxide meaning


Dichlorine hexoxide is the chemical compound with the molecular formula Cl
2
O
6
, which is correct for its gaseous state. However, in liquid or solid form, this chlorine oxide ionizes into the dark red ionic compound chloryl perchlorate [ClO
2
]+
[ClO
4
]
, which may be thought of as the mixed anhydride of chloric and perchloric acids.

Contents

It is produced by reaction between chlorine dioxide and excess ozone:

2 ClO
2
+ 2 O
3
→ 2 ClO
3
+ 2 O
2
Cl
2
O
6
+ 2 O
2

What does dichlorine hexoxide mean


Molecular structure

It was originally reported to exist as the monomeric chlorine trioxide ClO3 in gas phase, but was later shown to remain an oxygen-bridged dimer after evaporation and until thermal decomposition into chlorine perchlorate, Cl2O4, and oxygen. The compound ClO3 was then rediscovered.

It is a dark red fuming liquid at room temperature that crystallizes as a red ionic compound, chloryl perchlorate, [ClO
2
]+
[ClO
4
]
. The red color shows the presence of chloryl ions. Thus, chlorine's formal oxidation state in this compound remains a mixture of chlorine (V) and chlorine (VII) both in the gas phase and when condensed; however by breaking one oxygen-chlorine bond some electron density does shifts towards the chlorine (VII).

Properties

Cl2O6 is diamagnetic and is a very strong oxidizing agent. Although stable at room temperature, it explodes violently on contact with organic compounds and reacts with gold to produce the chloryl salt [ClO
2
]+
[Au(ClO
4
)
4
]
. Many other reactions involving Cl2O6 reflect its ionic structure, [ClO
2
]+
[ClO
4
]
, including the following:

NO2F + Cl2O6 → NO2ClO4 + ClO2FNO + Cl2O6 → NOClO4 + ClO22 V2O5 + 12 Cl2O6 → 4 VO(ClO4)3 + 12 ClO2 + 3 O2SnCl4 + 6 Cl2O6 → [ClO2]2[Sn(ClO4)6] + 4 ClO2 + 2 Cl22Au + 6Cl2O6 → 2[ClO
2
]+
[Au(ClO
4
)
4
]
+ Cl2

Nevertheless, it can also react as a source of the ClO3 radical:

2 AsF5 + Cl2O6 → 2 ClO3AsF5

References

Dichlorine hexoxide Wikipedia