Niobium(IV) chloride

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Niobium(IV) chloride
Names
IUPAC name
Niobium(IV) chloride
Other names
Niobium tetrachloride
Niobium chloride
Identifiers
Properties
NbCl4
Molar mass 234.718 g/mol
Appearance Violet-Black Crystals
Density 3.2 g/cm3
Melting point Dec. 800 °C
Boiling point Subl. 275 °C/10−4 mmHg
Reacts
Related compounds
Other anions
Niobium(IV) bromide
Niobium(IV) iodide
Other cations
Vanadium(IV) chloride
Tantalum(IV) chloride
Related niobium chlorides [1]
Niobium(III) chloride
Niobium(V) chloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Niobium(IV) chloride, also known as niobium tetrachloride, is the chemical compound of formula NbCl4. This compound exists as dark violet crystals, is highly sensitive to air and moisture, and disproportiates into niobium(III) chloride and niobium(V) chloride when heated.[2]

Structure and properties

In the solid state, niobium(IV) chloride exists as chains of edge-sharing octahedra with alternating Nb-Nb distances of lengths 302.9 and 379.4 pm. The shorter distances correspond to Nb-Nb bonds, which result in the compound's diamagnetism. Its structure is very similar to that of tungsten(IV) chloride.

Other

paramagnetic.[3]

Niobium chloride rapidly oxidizes and hydrolyzes in air to form

niobium(V) oxide
.

Preparation

Niobium(IV) chloride is typically produced by allowing elemental niobium and niobium(V) chloride crystals to react over several days in a temperature gradient, with the metal around 400 °C and the salt around 250 °C.[4]

4 NbCl5 + Nb → 5 NbCl4

Niobium (IV) chloride can also prepared by a similar reduction of

niobium pentachloride with powdered aluminium
.

3 NbCl5 + Al → 3 NbCl4 + AlCl3

A similar technique is also used in the synthesis of

niobium(V) iodide
.

At 400 °C NbCl4 disproportiates:

2 NbCl4 → NbCl3 + NbCl5

Reactions

The disproportiation of niobium(IV) chloride can be used to make tetrachlorobis(tetrahydrofuran) niobium, a useful

NbCl5 with aluminium in acetonitrile followed by addition of tetrahydrofuran to the resultant solid by the following reaction.[6]

3 NbCl5 + Al + 3 CH3CN → 3 NbCl4(NCCH3)3 + AlCl3
3 NbCl4(NCCH3)3 + AlCl3 + 3 C4H8O → 3 NbCl4(thf)2 + 9 MeCN + AlCl3(thf)

References

  1. ^ CRC, Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 89th Ed., 2008/09, editor D. Lide, Cleveland, OH: CRC Press, p. 4-36.
  2. ^ Macintyre, J.E.; Daniel, F.M.; Chapman and Hall; Stirling, V.M. Dictionary of Inorganic Compounds. 1992, Cleveland, OH: CRC Press, p. 2957
  3. .
  4. .
  5. ^ Hubert-Pfalzgraf, L.G. Niobium & Tantalum: Inorganic & Coordination Chemistry. 2006: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
  6. .