Zirconyl chloride is the inorganic compound

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 the formula [Zr₄(OH)₁₂(H₂O)₁₆]Cl₈(H₂O)₁₂. Zirconyl chloride is a misnomer because the compound contains no oxide groups, but the term is widely used. This salt, a white solid, is the most common water-soluble derivative of zirconium

Zirconium

Zirconium is a chemical element with the symbol Zr and atomic number 40. The name of zirconium is taken from the mineral zircon. Its atomic mass is 91.224. It is a lustrous, grey-white, strong transition metal that resembles titanium...

.

Production and structure

The salts is produced by hydrolysis of zirconium tetrachloride. It adopts a tetrameric structure, consisting of the cation [Zr₄(OH)₈]⁸⁺. This cluster features four pairs of hydroxide bridging ligand

Bridging ligand

A bridging ligand is a ligand that connects two or more atoms, usually metal ions. The ligand may be atomic or polyatomic. Virtually all complex organic compounds can serve as bridging ligands, so the term is usually restricted to small ligands such as pseudohalides or to ligands that are...

s linking four Zr⁴⁺ centers. The chloride anions are not ligand

Ligand

In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding between metal and ligand generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's electron pairs. The nature of metal-ligand bonding can range from...

s, consistent with the high oxophilicity

Oxophilicity

Oxophilicity is the tendency of certain chemical compounds to form oxides by hydrolysis or abstraction of oxygen, often from organic compounds. The term is usually used to describe metal centers, commonly the early transition metals such as titanium, niobium, and tungsten. Oxophilic metals are...

 of Zr(IV). The salt crystallizes as tetragonal crystals.

External links

• MSDS Data