Molar mass 202.3 g/mol | Density 3.58 g/cm³ | |
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Related molybdenum chlorides Appearance dark red solid; paramagnetic | ||
Molybdenum(III) chloride is the inorganic compound with the formula MoCl3.
Contents
Synthesis and Structure
The chemical formula of molybdenum trichloride is MoCl3. Molybdenum trichloride is synthesized by the reduction of molybdenum pentachloride with hydrogen. The greatest yield is instead produced by the reduction of pure molybdenum (V) chloride, using anhydrous tin (II) chloride as a reducing agent. This procedure must be performed under a moisture-free and oxygen-free atmosphere of prepurified nitrogen. There are two structures of molybdenum trichloride- alpha (α) and beta (β). The alpha structure is similar to that of aluminum chloride (AlCl3). In this structure, molybdenum has octahedral coordination geometry and exhibits cubic close packing in its crystalline structure. The beta structure, however, exhibits hexagonal close packing.
THF Complex
The THF complex of molybdenum trichloride is trichlorotris(tetrahydrofuran) molybdenum (III), and its chemical formula is C12H24O3Cl3Mo. It is synthesized by stirring MoCl4(THF)2, THF, and coarse tin powder. It is a light orange solid that is very moisture-sensitive, so it should be stored under dry argon in a freezer and in the dark. The complex has octahedral geometry. The IR spectrum shows intense bands in the 900–1000 cm−1, a characteristic of molybdenum oxo species.