Beryllium chloride

Last updated
Beryllium chloride
BeCl2polymer.png
EntryWithCollCode92585.png
EntryWithCollCode92587.png
Names
IUPAC name
Beryllium chloride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.029.197 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • DS2625000
UNII
  • InChI=1S/Be.2ClH/h;2*1H/q+2;;/p-2 Yes check.svgY
    Key: LWBPNIJBHRISSS-UHFFFAOYSA-L Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/Be.2ClH/h;2*1H/q+2;;/p-2
    Key: LWBPNIJBHRISSS-NUQVWONBAX
  • ionic depiction:[Be+2].[Cl-].[Cl-]
  • covalent monomer:Cl[Be]Cl
  • polymer:Cl[Be-2](Cl)([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1(Cl)Cl
Properties
BeCl2
Molar mass 79.9182 g/mol
AppearanceWhite or yellow crystals
Density 1.899 g/cm3, solid
Melting point 399 °C (750 °F; 672 K)
Boiling point 482 °C (900 °F; 755 K)
15.1 g/100 mL (20 °C)
Solubility soluble in alcohol, ether, benzene, and pyridine
slightly soluble in chloroform and sulfur dioxide
Structure
hexagonal
polymer
Thermochemistry
7.808 J/K or 71.1 J/mol K
Std molar
entropy
(S298)
63 J/mol K
−6.136 kJ/g or -494 kJ/mol
-468 kJ/mol
16 kJ/mol
Hazards
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
86 mg/kg (rat, oral)
NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
PEL (Permissible)
TWA 0.002 mg/m3
C 0.005 mg/m3 (30 minutes), with a maximum peak of 0.025 mg/m3 (as Be) [1]
REL (Recommended)
Ca C 0.0005 mg/m3 (as Be) [1]
IDLH (Immediate danger)
Ca [4 mg/m3 (as Be)] [1]
Related compounds
Other anions
Beryllium fluoride
Beryllium bromide
Beryllium iodide
Other cations
Magnesium chloride
Calcium chloride
Strontium chloride
Barium chloride
Radium chloride
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
X mark.svgN  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

Beryllium chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula BeCl2. It is a colourless, hygroscopic solid that dissolves well in many polar solvents. Its properties are similar to those of aluminium chloride, due to beryllium's diagonal relationship with aluminium.

Contents

Structure and synthesis

Beryllium chloride is prepared by reaction of the metal with chlorine at high temperatures: [2]

Be + Cl2 → BeCl2

BeCl2 can also be prepared by carbothermal reduction of beryllium oxide in the presence of chlorine. [3] BeCl2 can be prepared by treating beryllium with hydrogen chloride.

Two forms (polymorphs) of BeCl2 are known. Both structures consist tetrahedral Be2+ centers interconnected by doubly bridging chloride ligands. One form consist of edge-sharing polytetrahedra. The other form resembles zinc iodide with interconnected adamantane-like cages. [4] In contrast, BeF2 is a 3-dimensional polymer, with a structure akin to that of quartz.

In the gas phase, BeCl2 exists both as a linear monomer and a bridged dimer with two bridging chlorine atoms where the beryllium atom is 3-coordinate. [5] The linear shape of the monomeric form is as predicted by VSEPR theory. The linear shape contrasts with the monomeric forms of some of the dihalides of the heavier members of group 2, e.g. CaF2, SrF2, BaF2, SrCl2, BaCl2, BaBr2, and BaI2, which are all non-linear. [5] Beryllium chloride dissolves to give tetrahedral [Be(OH2)4]2+ ion in aqueous solutions as confirmed by vibrational spectroscopy. [6]

Reactions

When treated with water, beryllium chloride forms a tetrahydrate, BeCl2•4H2O ([Be(H2O)4]Cl2). BeCl2 is also soluble in some ethers. [7] [8]

When suspended in diethyl ether, beryllium chloride converts to the colorless dietherate: [9]

BeCl2 2 O(C2H5)2 → BeCl2(O(C2H5)2)2

This ether ligand can be displaced by other Lewis bases.


Beryllium chloride forms complexes with phosphines. [10]

Phosphine type coordination with a Be Halide Complex Phosphine Coordination with a BeCl2 Complex.png
Phosphine type coordination with a Be Halide Complex

Applications

Beryllium chloride is used as a raw material for the electrolysis of beryllium, and as a catalyst for Friedel-Crafts reactions.

Related Research Articles

Iron(III) chloride describes the inorganic compounds with the formula FeCl3(H2O)x. Also called ferric chloride, these compounds are some of the most important and commonplace compounds of iron. They are available both in anhydrous and in hydrated forms which are both hygroscopic. They feature iron in its +3 oxidation state. The anhydrous derivative is a Lewis acid, while all forms are mild oxidizing agents. It is used as a water cleaner and as an etchant for metals.

In chemistry, halogenation is a chemical reaction which introduces one or more halogens into a chemical compound. Halide-containing compounds are pervasive, making this type of transformation important, e.g. in the production of polymers, drugs. This kind of conversion is in fact so common that a comprehensive overview is challenging. This article mainly deals with halogenation using elemental halogens. Halides are also commonly introduced using salts of the halides and halogen acids. Many specialized reagents exist for and introducing halogens into diverse substrates, e.g. thionyl chloride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinc chloride</span> Chemical compound

Zinc chloride is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula ZnCl2·nH2O, with n ranging from 0 to 4.5, forming hydrates. Zinc chloride, anhydrous and its hydrates, are colorless or white crystalline solids, and are highly soluble in water. Five hydrates of zinc chloride are known, as well as four forms of anhydrous zinc chloride. All forms of zinc chloride are deliquescent. Zinc chloride finds wide application in textile processing, metallurgical fluxes, and chemical synthesis. In a major monograph, zinc chlorides have been described as "one of the important compounds of zinc."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barium chloride</span> Chemical compound

Barium chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula BaCl2. It is one of the most common water-soluble salts of barium. Like most other water-soluble barium salts, it is a white powder, highly toxic, and imparts a yellow-green coloration to a flame. It is also hygroscopic, converting to the dihydrate BaCl2·2H2O, which are colourless crystals with a bitter salty taste. It has limited use in the laboratory and industry.

Iron(II) chloride, also known as ferrous chloride, is the chemical compound of formula FeCl2. It is a paramagnetic solid with a high melting point. The compound is white, but typical samples are often off-white. FeCl2 crystallizes from water as the greenish tetrahydrate, which is the form that is most commonly encountered in commerce and the laboratory. There is also a dihydrate. The compound is highly soluble in water, giving pale green solutions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phosphorus pentachloride</span> Chemical compound

Phosphorus pentachloride is the chemical compound with the formula PCl5. It is one of the most important phosphorus chlorides/oxychlorides, others being PCl3 and POCl3. PCl5 finds use as a chlorinating reagent. It is a colourless, water-sensitive solid, although commercial samples can be yellowish and contaminated with hydrogen chloride.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rhodium(III) chloride</span> Chemical compound

Rhodium(III) chloride refers to inorganic compounds with the formula RhCl3(H2O)n, where n varies from 0 to 3. These are diamagnetic red-brown solids. The soluble trihydrated (n = 3) salt is the usual compound of commerce. It is widely used to prepare compounds used in homogeneous catalysis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metal ammine complex</span> Class of chemical compounds

In coordination chemistry, metal ammine complexes are metal complexes containing at least one ammonia ligand. "Ammine" is spelled this way for historical reasons; in contrast, alkyl or aryl bearing ligands are spelt with a single "m". Almost all metal ions bind ammonia as a ligand, but the most prevalent examples of ammine complexes are for Cr(III), Co(III), Ni(II), Cu(II) as well as several platinum group metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hafnium tetrachloride</span> Chemical compound

Hafnium(IV) chloride is the inorganic compound with the formula HfCl4. This colourless solid is the precursor to most hafnium organometallic compounds. It has a variety of highly specialized applications, mainly in materials science and as a catalyst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinc iodide</span> Chemical compound

Zinc iodide is the inorganic compound with the formula ZnI2. It exists both in anhydrous form and as a dihydrate. Both are white and readily absorb water from the atmosphere. It has no major application.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zinc bromide</span> Chemical compound

Zinc bromide (ZnBr2) is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula ZnBr2. It is a colourless salt that shares many properties with zinc chloride (ZnCl2), namely a high solubility in water forming acidic solutions, and good solubility in organic solvents. It is hygroscopic and forms a dihydrate ZnBr2·2H2O.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sulfur tetrafluoride</span> Chemical compound

Sulfur tetrafluoride is a chemical compound with the formula SF4. It is a colorless corrosive gas that releases dangerous hydrogen fluoride gas upon exposure to water or moisture. Sulfur tetrafluride is a useful reagent for the preparation of organofluorine compounds, some of which are important in the pharmaceutical and specialty chemical industries.

The thallium halides include monohalides, where thallium has oxidation state +1, trihalides in which thallium generally has oxidation state +3, and some intermediate halides containing thallium with mixed +1 and +3 oxidation states. These salts find use in specialized optical settings, such as focusing elements in research spectrophotometers. Compared to the more common zinc selenide-based optics, materials such as thallium bromoiodide enable transmission at longer wavelengths. In the infrared, this allows for measurements as low as 350 cm−1 (28 μm), whereas zinc selenide is opaque by 21.5 μm, and ZnSe optics are generally only usable to 650 cm−1 (15 μm).

There are three sets of Indium halides, the trihalides, the monohalides, and several intermediate halides. In the monohalides the oxidation state of indium is +1 and their proper names are indium(I) fluoride, indium(I) chloride, indium(I) bromide and indium(I) iodide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beryllium bromide</span> Chemical compound

Beryllium bromide is the chemical compound with the formula BeBr2. It is very hygroscopic and dissolves well in water. The Be2+ cation, which is relevant to BeBr2, is characterized by the highest known charge density (Z/r = 6.45), making it one of the hardest cations and a very strong Lewis acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beryllium iodide</span> Chemical compound

Beryllium iodide is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula BeI2. It is a hygroscopic white solid. The Be2+ cation, which is relevant to salt-like BeI2, is characterized by the highest known charge density (Z/r = 6.45), making it one of the hardest cations and a very strong Lewis acid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beryllium sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Beryllium sulfate normally encountered as the tetrahydrate, [Be(H2O)4]SO4 is a white crystalline solid. It was first isolated in 1815 by Jons Jakob Berzelius. Beryllium sulfate may be prepared by treating an aqueous solution of many beryllium salts with sulfuric acid, followed by evaporation of the solution and crystallization. The hydrated product may be converted to anhydrous salt by heating at 400 °C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beryllium azide</span> Chemical compound

Beryllium azide, Be(N3)2, is an inorganic compound. It is the beryllium analog of hydrazoic acid.

Polysilicon halides are silicon-backbone polymeric solids. At room temperature, the polysilicon fluorides are colorless to yellow solids while the chlorides, bromides, and iodides are, respectively, yellow, amber, and red-orange. Polysilicon dihalides (perhalo-polysilenes) have the general formula (SiX2)n while the polysilicon monohalides (perhalo-polysilynes) have the formula (SiX)n, where X is F, Cl, Br, or I and n is the number of monomer units in the polymer.

References

  1. 1 2 3 NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0054". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
  2. Irving R. Tannenbaum "Beryllium Chloride" Inorganic Syntheses, 1957, vol. 5, p. 22. doi : 10.1002/9780470132364.ch7
  3. Cotton, F. A.; Wilkinson, G. (1980) Advanced Inorganic Chemistry John Wiley and Sons, Inc: New York, ISBN   0-471-02775-8.
  4. Troyanov, S.I. (2000). "Crystal Modifications of Beryllium Dihalides BeCl2, BeBr2 and BeI2". Zhurnal Neorganicheskoi Khimii. 45: 1619-1624.
  5. 1 2 Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN   978-0-08-037941-8.
  6. Rudolph, Wolfram W.; Fischer, Dieter; Irmer, Gert; Pye, Cory C. (2009). "Hydration of Beryllium(II) in Aqueous Solutions of Common Inorganic Salts. A Combined Vibrational Spectroscopic and ab initio Molecular Orbital Study". Dalton Transactions (33): 6513–6527. doi:10.1039/B902481F. PMID   19672497.
  7. Lide, David R., ed. (2006). CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics (87th ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. ISBN   0-8493-0487-3.
  8. Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. (2001) Inorganic Chemistry Academic Press: San Diego, ISBN   0-12-352651-5
  9. Bekiş, Deniz F.; Thomas-Hargreaves, Lewis R.; Berthold, Chantsalmaa; Ivlev, Sergei I.; Buchner, Magnus R. (2023). "Structure and Spectroscopic Properties of Etherates of the Beryllium Halides". Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B. 78 (3–4): 165–173. doi:10.1515/znb-2023-0303.
  10. Buchner, Magnus R.; Müller, Matthias; Rudel, Stefan S. (2017-01-19). "Beryllium Phosphine Complexes: Synthesis, Properties, and Reactivity of (PMe3)2BeCl2 and (Ph2PC3H6PPh2)BeCl2". Angewandte Chemie International Edition. 56 (4): 1130–1134. doi:10.1002/anie.201610956. PMID   28004465.