Plutonium tetrachloride
Plutonium tetrachloride or plutonium chloride is an inorganic compound of plutonium and chlorine with the chemical formula. While it is not known as a solid, gaseous is known. In addition, it is known to form several stable adducts. The dimethoxyethane adduct,, has been used as a precursor to other plutonium compounds.
Synthesis
The compound is formed when plutonium trichloride is put in a stream of chlorine:Physical properties
The compound is not stable as a solid; however, it is known in the gas phase. When condensed, it forms plutonium chloride and chlorine gas:However, several stable adducts, such as with dimethoxyethane or diphenylsulfoxide, and ammoniates, are known. The diphenylsulfoxide adduct appears as a red solid.
Complexes
With dimethoxyethane
Plutonium tetrachloride forms a stable adduct with dimethoxyethane with formula . This compound can be prepared via evaporation of a hydrochloric acid solution containing plutonium, adding the product to dimethoxyethane, and then adding trimethylsilyl chloride. This adduct can be used to prepare other compounds. For example, when it is dissolved in tetrahydrofuran, it is partially reduced to form the mixed-valence complex.. It has also been used to prepare the compound plutonium N-isobutyramide through reaction with potassium N-isobutyramide. has been investigated in the production of oxidation state-pure plutonium oxide.
Other complexes
Plutonium tetrachloride also forms an adduct with diphenylsulfoxide. This adduct has been prepared by boiling a solution consisting of plutonium dissolved in hydrochloric acid, suspending the residue in acetonitrile, and adding to it an acetonitrile solution of diphenylsulfoxide. The resulting product has the formula, and is a rare example of plutonium in its +4 oxidation state with a coordination number of 7.When the related compound dicaesium hexachloroplutonate is reacted with liquid ammonia at low temperatures, the ammoniate. The initial product has composition PuCl4·~7–8NH3, which decomposes over a period of weeks to form. is stable at room temperature. Both compounds are ammine complexes, meaning that the ammonia in them is bonded to the plutonium atoms.