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Tungsten(IV) chloride

Names
Other names tungsten tetrachloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	13470-13-8
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
ChemSpider	122991
ECHA InfoCard	100.157.353
EC Number	629-145-3
PubChem CID	139468
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID30158866
InChI Key: YOUIDGQAIILFBW-UHFFFAOYSA-J InChI=1S/4ClH.W/h4*1H;/q;;;;+4/p-4
SMILES Cl(Cl)(Cl)Cl
Properties
Chemical formula	Cl4W
Molar mass	325.65 g·mol
Appearance	black solid
Density	4.62 g·cm
Melting point	450 °C (842 °F; 723 K)
Hazards
GHS labelling:
Pictograms
Signal word	Danger
Hazard statements	H302, H314
Precautionary statements	P260, P264, P270, P280, P301+P312, P301+P330+P331, P303+P361+P353, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P321, P330, P363, P405, P501
Related compounds
Other anions	Tungsten(IV) fluoride
Related compounds	Tungsten(V) chloride Tungsten hexachloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C , 100 kPa). Infobox references

Tungsten(IV) chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula WCl₄. It is a diamagnetic black solid. The compound is of interest in research as one of a handful of binary tungsten chlorides.

Structure and preparation

WCl₄ is usually prepared by reduction tungsten hexachloride. Many reductants have been reported, including red phosphorus, tungsten hexacarbonyl, gallium, tin, and antimony. The latter is reported to be optimal:

${\displaystyle \mathrm {3\ WCl_{6}+2\ Sb\longrightarrow 3\ WCl_{4}+2\ SbCl_{3}} }$

Like most binary metal halides, WCl₄ is polymeric. It consists of linear chains of tungsten atoms each in octahedral geometry. Of six chloride ligands attached to each W center, four are bridging ligands. The W-W separations are alternatingly bonding (2.688 Å) and nonbonding (3.787 Å).

Reactions

Reduction of tungsten(IV) chloride with sodium yields the ditungsten(III) heptachloride derivative:

2 WCl₄ + 5 thf + 2 Na → + NaCl

References

1. Zhou, Yibo; Kolesnichenko, Vladimir; Messerle, Louis (2014). "Crystalline and Amorphous Forms of Tungsten Tetrachloride". Inorganic Syntheses: Volume 36. Vol. 36. pp. 30–34. doi:10.1002/9781118744994.ch6. ISBN 978-1-118-74499-4.
2. Broderick, Erin M.; Browne, Samuel C.; Johnson, Marc J. A. (2014). "Dimolybdenum and Ditungsten Hexa(Alkoxides)". Inorganic Syntheses: Volume 36. Vol. 36. pp. 95–102. doi:10.1002/9781118744994.ch18. ISBN 978-1-118-74499-4.

• Chlorides
• Tungsten halides
• Tungsten(IV) compounds