Neptunium tetrachloride
Neptunium tetrachloride is a binary inorganic compound of neptunium metal and chlorine with the chemical formula.
Synthesis
The compound can be prepared by:- the reaction of neptunium nitride with HCl:
- the reaction of neptunium sesquisulfide with HCl:
- the reaction of carbon tetrachloride with neptunium(IV) oxide or. Neptunium tetrachloride is formed as a yellow sublimate.
Physical properties
crystallizes in tetragonal crystal system of space group I4/amd.Chemical properties
The compound reacts with ammonia to produce neptunium trichloride:Neptunium tetrachloride can be reduced to neptunium trichloride by hydrogen at 450 °C.
NpCl4 can form Lewis base adducts with non-protic solvents such as 1,2-dimethoxyethane, pyridine and acetonitrile. These compounds are more accessible in practice than the binary NpCl4 salt. Solvates of the general formula NpCl4Lx may thus be isolated. The most commonly used starting material for metal-organic neptunium chemistry is NpCl42, which can be isolated as a pink powder.