Zirconium(III) chloride
Encyclopedia
Zirconium chloride is a the inorganic compound
with formula
ZrCl3. It is a blue-black solid that is highly sensitive to air
.
and Wallstein who reduced zirconium tetrachloride with aluminium
to give impure samples. Subsequently, the problem with aluminium contamination was solved when it was prepared by reduction using zirconium metal:
When aluminium is used as the reducing agent with zirconium tetrachloride, a series of choloroaluminates are formed, for example [Zr(AlCl4)2(AlCl4)2] and Zr(AlCl4)3.
Since the trihalides, such as zirconium trichloride, are comparatively nonvolatile, contamination can be avoided by using a gaseous reductant. For example, zirconium trichloride can be prepared by reduction of zirconium tetrachloride with hydrogen.
of zirconium trichloride suggests metal-metal interactions of the unpaired electron on each Zr(III) center. The magnetic moment of ZrCl3 (0.4 BM) indicates considerable overlap of metal orbitals.
Inorganic compound
Inorganic compounds have traditionally been considered to be of inanimate, non-biological origin. In contrast, organic compounds have an explicit biological origin. However, over the past century, the classification of inorganic vs organic compounds has become less important to scientists,...
with formula
Chemical formula
A chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
ZrCl3. It is a blue-black solid that is highly sensitive to air
Air sensitive
Air sensitivity is a term used, in particular in chemistry, to denote the reactivity of chemical compounds with some constituent of air. Most often, reactions occur with atmospheric oxygen or water vapor , although reactions with the other constituents of air such as carbon monoxide , carbon...
.
Preparation
The material was first claimed by RuffOtto Ruff
-Life:Otto Ruff was born in Schwäbisch Hall, Württemberg. After becoming an pharmacist under the supervision of Carl Magnus von Hell at the University of Stuttgart he joined the group of Hermann Emil Fischer at the University of Berlin. Fischer was noted for his work on carbohydrates and so Ruff...
and Wallstein who reduced zirconium tetrachloride with aluminium
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
to give impure samples. Subsequently, the problem with aluminium contamination was solved when it was prepared by reduction using zirconium metal:
- Zr + 3 ZrCl4 → 4 ZrCl3
When aluminium is used as the reducing agent with zirconium tetrachloride, a series of choloroaluminates are formed, for example [Zr(AlCl4)2(AlCl4)2] and Zr(AlCl4)3.
Since the trihalides, such as zirconium trichloride, are comparatively nonvolatile, contamination can be avoided by using a gaseous reductant. For example, zirconium trichloride can be prepared by reduction of zirconium tetrachloride with hydrogen.
- ZrCl4 + 1/2H2 → ZrCl3 + HCl
Structure
ZrCl3 adopts a cubic close packed (ccp) structure in which Zr fills one third of the octahedral holes, similar to AlF3 and AlBr3. The Zr-Cl distance is 2.64 Å. Alternating strong and weak bonding between Zr centres is evidences by Zr-Zr distances of 303 and 342 pm. The magnetic susceptibilityMagnetic susceptibility
In electromagnetism, the magnetic susceptibility \chi_m is a dimensionless proportionality constant that indicates the degree of magnetization of a material in response to an applied magnetic field...
of zirconium trichloride suggests metal-metal interactions of the unpaired electron on each Zr(III) center. The magnetic moment of ZrCl3 (0.4 BM) indicates considerable overlap of metal orbitals.