Tungsten(VI) oxytetrachloride is the inorganic compound with the formula W O Cl₄. This diamagnetic solid is used to prepare other complexes of tungsten. The yellow-green compound is soluble in nonpolar solvents but it reacts with alcohols and water and forms

adduct An adduct (from the Latin ''adductus'', "drawn toward" alternatively, a contraction of "addition product") is a product of a direct addition of two or more distinct molecules, resulting in a single reaction product containing all atoms of all co ...

s with Lewis bases.

Structure

The solid consists of weakly associated square pyramidal monomers. The compound is classified as an

oxyhalide In chemistry, molecular oxohalides (oxyhalides) are a group of chemical compounds in which both oxygen and halogen atoms are attached to another chemical element A in a single molecule. They have the general formula , where X = fluorine (F), chlor ...

Synthesis and reactions

WOCl₄ is prepared from

tungsten trioxide Tungsten(VI) oxide, also known as tungsten trioxide is a chemical compound of oxygen and the transition metal tungsten, with formula WO3. The compound is also called tungstic anhydride, reflecting its relation to tungstic acid . It is a light ...

: :WO₃ + 2 SOCl₂ → WOCl₄ + 2 SO₂ :WCl₆ + (Me₃Si)₂O → WOCl₄ + 2 Me₃SiCl WOCl₄ is Lewis acidic. It is a precursor to catalysts used for polymerization of alkynes.

References

Chlorides Metal halides Oxychlorides Tungsten compounds {{inorganic-compound-stub