Molybdenum(III) chloride
Molybdenum chloride is the inorganic compound with the formula MoCl3. It forms purple crystals.
Synthesis and structure
Molybdenum chloride is synthesized by the reduction of molybdenum(V) chloride with hydrogen. A higher yield is produced by the reduction of pure molybdenum chloride with anhydrous tin(II) chloride as the reducing agent.Molybdenum trichloride exists as two polymorphs: alpha and beta. The alpha structure is similar to that of aluminum chloride. In this structure, molybdenum has octahedral coordination geometry and exhibits cubic close-packing in its crystalline structure. The beta structure, however, exhibits hexagonal close packing.
Ether complexes
Molybdenum trichloride gives a ether complexes MoCl33 and MoCl33. They are beige, paramagnetic solids. Both feature octahedral Mo centers. The diethyl ether complex is synthesized by reducing a Et2O solution of MoCl5 with tin powder. Older procedures involve stepwise reduction involving isolation of the Mo-thf complex.Hexa(tert-butoxy)dimolybdenum(III) is prepared by the salt metathesis reaction from MoCl33: