Beryllium chloride is an

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemis ...

with the

formula In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwe ...

BeCl₂. It is a colourless,

hygroscopic Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance' ...

solid that dissolves well in many polar solvents. Its properties are similar to those of aluminium chloride, due to beryllium's diagonal relationship with

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It ha ...

Structure and synthesis

Beryllium chloride is prepared by reaction of the metal with chlorine at high temperatures: :Be + Cl₂ → BeCl₂ BeCl₂ can also be prepared by carbothermal reduction of beryllium oxide in the presence of chlorine.Cotton, F. A.; Wilkinson, G. (1980) ''Advanced Inorganic Chemistry'' John Wiley and Sons, Inc: New York, . BeCl₂ can be prepared by treating

beryllium Beryllium is a chemical element with the symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with other elements to for ...

with

hydrogen chloride The compound hydrogen chloride has the chemical formula and as such is a hydrogen halide. At room temperature, it is a colourless gas, which forms white fumes of hydrochloric acid upon contact with atmospheric water vapor. Hydrogen chlorid ...

. Two forms ( polymorphs) of BeCl₂ are known. Both structures consist tetrahedral Be²⁺ centers interconnected by doubly bridging chloride ligands. One form consist of edge-sharing polytetrahedra. The other form resembles

zinc iodide Zinc iodide is the inorganic compound with the formula ZnI2. It exists both in anhydrous form and as a dihydrate. Both are white and readily absorb water from the atmosphere. It has no major application. Preparation It can be prepared by the dire ...

with interconnected

adamantane Adamantane is an organic compound with a formula C10H16 or, more descriptively, (CH)4(CH2)6. Adamantane molecules can be described as the fusion of three cyclohexane rings. The molecule is both rigid and virtually stress-free. Adamantane is the ...

-like cages. In contrast, BeF₂ is a 3-dimensional polymer, with a structure akin to that of

quartz Quartz is a hard, crystalline mineral composed of silica ( silicon dioxide). The atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tetrahedra, giving an overall chemical f ...

. In the gas phase, BeCl₂ exists both as a

linear Linearity is the property of a mathematical relationship ('' function'') that can be graphically represented as a straight line. Linearity is closely related to '' proportionality''. Examples in physics include rectilinear motion, the linear ...

monomer and a bridged

dimer Dimer may refer to: * Dimer (chemistry), a chemical structure formed from two similar sub-units ** Protein dimer, a protein quaternary structure ** d-dimer * Dimer model, an item in statistical mechanics, based on ''domino tiling'' * Julius Dimer ( ...

with two bridging chlorine atoms where the beryllium atom is 3-coordinate. The linear shape of the monomeric form is as predicted by VSEPR theory. The linear shape contrasts with the monomeric forms of some of the dihalides of the heavier members of group 2, e.g. CaF₂, SrF₂, BaF₂, SrCl₂, BaCl₂, BaBr₂, and BaI₂, which are all non-linear. Beryllium chloride dissolves to give tetrahedral e(OH₂)₄sup>2+ ion in aqueous solutions as confirmed by vibrational spectroscopy.

Reactions

Beryllium chloride forms a

tetrahydrate In chemistry, a hydrate is a substance that contains water or its constituent elements. The chemical state of the water varies widely between different classes of hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was unders ...

, BeCl₂•4H₂O ( e(H₂O)₄l₂). BeCl₂ is also soluble in some ethers.Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. (2001) ''Inorganic Chemistry'' Academic Press: San Diego,

Applications

Beryllium chloride is used as a raw material for the

electrolysis In chemistry and manufacturing, electrolysis is a technique that uses direct electric current (DC) to drive an otherwise non-spontaneous chemical reaction. Electrolysis is commercially important as a stage in the separation of elements from n ...

of beryllium, and as a

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

for Friedel-Crafts reactions.

References

External links

Properties of BeCl₂
from

NIST The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce whose mission is to promote American innovation and industrial competitiveness. NIST's activities are organized into physical sci ...

{{Chlorides Beryllium compounds Chlorides Alkaline earth metal halides Acid catalysts Inorganic polymers