Beryllium chloride is an

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

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 (chemistry), absorption or adsorption from the surrounding Natural environment, environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water mol ...

solid that dissolves well in many polar solvents. Its properties are similar to those of

aluminium chloride Aluminium chloride, also known as aluminium trichloride, is an inorganic compound with the formula . It forms a hexahydrate with the formula , containing six water molecules of hydration. Both the anhydrous form and the hexahydrate are col ...

, due to

beryllium Beryllium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Be and atomic number 4. It is a steel-gray, hard, strong, lightweight and brittle alkaline earth metal. It is a divalent element that occurs naturally only in combination with ...

's diagonal relationship with

aluminium Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

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

with

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

. 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 with interconnected

adamantane Adamantane is an organic compound with 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 mo ...

-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 Atom, atoms are linked in a continuous framework of SiO4 silicon–oxygen Tetrahedral molecular geometry, tetrahedra, with each oxygen being shared between two tet ...

. In the gas phase, BeCl₂ exists both as a

linear In mathematics, the term ''linear'' is used in two distinct senses for two different properties: * linearity of a '' function'' (or '' mapping''); * linearity of a '' polynomial''. An example of a linear function is the function defined by f(x) ...

monomer and a bridged 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

When treated with water, beryllium chloride forms a tetrahydrate, BeCl₂•4H₂O ( e(H₂O)₄l₂). BeCl₂ is also soluble in some ethers. When suspended in diethyl ether, beryllium chloride converts to the colorless dietherate: : This ether ligand can be displaced by other Lewis bases. Beryllium chloride forms complexes with phosphines. Phosphine Coordination with a BeCl2 Complex

Phosphine Coordination with a BeCl2 Complex

Applications

Beryllium chloride is used as a raw material for the

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

of beryllium, and as a

catalyst Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...

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 s ...

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