Cadmium(I) tetrachloroaluminate is the
inorganic compound with the formula , a
tetrachloroaluminate of
cadmium(I). It was the first compound reported (1961) that contained cadmium in the +1 oxidation state and features a cadmium–cadmium bond.
Preparation and properties
was originally prepared by dissolving Cd metal in molten
followed by the addition of
.
:
:
Subsequent studies of the
Raman vibrational spectrum indicated the presence of a cadmium–cadmium bond,
which was confirmed by two separate X-ray diffraction studies of single crystals.
The compound can therefore be compared to mercury(I) (mercurous) compounds (such as
mercury(I) chloride
Mercury(I) chloride is the chemical compound with the formula Hg2Cl2. Also known as the mineral calomel (a rare mineral) or mercurous chloride, this dense white or yellowish-white, odorless solid is the principal example of a mercury(I) compound ...
), which contain . The
single bonds are part of
ethane
Ethane ( , ) is an organic chemical compound with chemical formula . At standard temperature and pressure, ethane is a colorless, odorless gas. Like many hydrocarbons, ethane is isolated on an industrial scale from natural gas and as a petroc ...
-like units sharing vertices with units, with a bond length reported as 257.6 pm
or 256.1pm.
is
diamagnetic
Diamagnetic materials are repelled by a magnetic field; an applied magnetic field creates an induced magnetic field in them in the opposite direction, causing a repulsive force. In contrast, paramagnetic and ferromagnetic materials are attracted ...
. It contains no unpaired electrons and reacts readily with water disproportionating to give Cd metal and .
References
{{Cadmium compounds
Cadmium compounds
Tetrachloroaluminates