Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
science/chemistry

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Vanadium tetrachloride

Chemical reagent used to produce other vanadium compounds


Chemical reagent used to produce other vanadium compounds

Vanadium(IV) chloride | NFPA-H = 3 | NFPA-F = 0 | NFPA-R = 2 | NFPA-S = W

Vanadium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula VCl4. This reddish-brown liquid serves as a useful reagent for the preparation of other vanadium compounds.

Synthesis, bonding, basic properties

With one more valence electron than diamagnetic TiCl4, VCl4 is a paramagnetic liquid. It is one of only a few paramagnetic compounds that is liquid at room temperature.

VCl4 is prepared by chlorination of vanadium metal. VCl5 does not form in this reaction; Cl2 lacks the oxidizing power to attack VCl4. VCl5 can however be prepared indirectly from VF5 at −78 °C.

Reactions

Consistent with its high oxidizing power, VCl4 reacts with HBr at -50 °C to produce VBr3. The reaction proceeds via VBr4, which releases Br2 during warming to room temperature. :2 VCl4 + 8 HBr → 2 VBr3 + 8 HCl + Br2

VCl4 forms adducts with many donor ligands, for example, VCl4(THF)2.

It is the precursor to vanadocene dichloride.

Organic chemistry

In organic synthesis, VCl4 is used for the oxidative coupling of phenols. For example, it converts phenol into a mixture of 4,4'-, 2,4'-, and 2,2'-biphenols: :2 C6H5OH + 2 VCl4 → HOC6H4–C6H4OH + 2 VCl3 + 2 HCl

Applications

VCl4 is a catalyst for the polymerization of alkenes, especially those useful in the rubber industry. The underlying technology is related to Ziegler–Natta catalysis, which involves the intermediacy of vanadium alkyls.

Safety considerations

VCl4 is a volatile, aggressive oxidant that readily hydrolyzes to release HCl.

References

References

  1. (2013). "The Elusive Halides VCl5, MoCl6, and ReCl6". [[Angewandte Chemie International Edition.
  2. (1993). "Low-temperature Syntheses of Vanadium(III) and Molybdenum(IV) Bromides by Halide Exchange". [[Dalton Transactions]].
  3. (2001). "Vanadium(IV) Chloride". J. Wiley & Sons.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Vanadium tetrachloride — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report