Dichlorine hexoxide is the

chemical compound A chemical compound is a chemical substance composed of many identical molecules (or molecular entities) containing atoms from more than one chemical element held together by chemical bonds. A molecule consisting of atoms of only one element ...

with the

molecular formula A chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, such as paren ...

or , which is correct for its gaseous state. However, in liquid or solid form, this chlorine oxide ionizes into the dark red ionic compound chloryl perchlorate or dioxochloronium(V) perchlorate , which may be thought of as the mixed

anhydride An acid anhydride is a type of chemical compound derived by the removal of water molecules from an acid (chemistry), acid. In organic chemistry, organic acid anhydrides contain the functional group . Organic acid anhydrides often form when one ...

of chloric and

perchloric acid Perchloric acid is a mineral acid with the formula H Cl O4. It is an oxoacid of chlorine. Usually found as an aqueous solution, this colorless compound is a stronger acid than sulfuric acid, nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. It is a powerful oxid ...

s. This compound is a notable perchlorating agent. It is produced by reaction between

chlorine dioxide Chlorine dioxide is a chemical compound with the formula ClO2 that exists as yellowish-green gas above 11 °C, a reddish-brown liquid between 11 °C and −59 °C, and as bright orange crystals below −59 °C. It is usually ...

and excess

ozone Ozone () (or trioxygen) is an Inorganic compound, inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , break ...

: :

Molecular structure

It was originally reported to exist as the monomeric chlorine trioxide in gas phase, but was later shown to remain an oxygen-bridged dimer after evaporation and until thermal decomposition into chlorine perchlorate, , and oxygen. The compound was then rediscovered. It is a dark red fuming liquid at room temperature that crystallizes as a red ionic compound, chloryl perchlorate, . The red color shows the presence of chloryl ions. Thus, chlorine's formal oxidation state in this compound remains a mixture of chlorine(V) and chlorine(VII) both in the gas phase and when condensed; however by breaking one oxygen-chlorine bond some electron density does shifts towards the chlorine(VII).

Properties

diamagnetic Diamagnetism is the property of materials that 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 ferromagn ...

and is a very strong oxidizing agent. Although stable at room temperature, it explodes violently on contact with organic compounds It is a strong dehydrating agent: : Many reactions involving reflect its ionic structure, , including the following: : : : : It reacts with

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

to produce the chloryl salt : : Several other

transition metal perchlorate complexes class=skin-invert, 300px, Titanium(IV) perchlorate is a transition metal perchlorate complex. Transition metal perchlorate complexes are coordination complexes with one or more perchlorate ligand In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion ...

are prepared using dichlorine hexoxide. Nevertheless, it can also react as a source of the radical: :

Synthesis

: (under

ultraviolet light Ultraviolet radiation, also known as simply UV, is electromagnetic radiation of wavelengths of 10–400 nanometers, shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays. UV radiation is present in sunlight and constitutes about 10% of th ...

)

References

{{oxygen compounds Chlorine oxides Acidic oxides Perchlorates Chloryl compounds Chlorine(V) compounds Chlorine(VII) compounds