Molybdenum dichloride dioxide is the

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 . It is a yellow diamagnetic solid that is used as a precursor to other molybdenum compounds. Molybdenum dichloride dioxide is one of several

oxychloride In chemistry, oxohalides or oxyhalides are a group of chemical compounds with the chemical formula , where X is a halogen, and A is an element different than O and X. Known oxohalides have fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), and/or iodine ( ...

s of molybdenum.

Structure

Gaseous molybdenum dichloride dioxide is a monomer, but upon condensation, it polymerizes to give a

coordination polymer Coordination may refer to: * Coordination (linguistics), a compound grammatical construction * Coordination complex, consisting of a central atom or ion and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions ** A chemical reaction to form a coordinat ...

of uncertain structure.

Preparation

The compound is most easily prepared by treatment

molybdenum trioxide Molybdenum trioxide describes a family of inorganic compounds with the formula MoO3(H2O)n where n = 0, 1, 2. The anhydrous compound is produced on the largest scale of any molybdenum compound since it is the main intermediate produced when molybd ...

with concentrated

hydrochloric acid Hydrochloric acid, also known as muriatic acid or spirits of salt, is an aqueous solution of hydrogen chloride (HCl). It is a colorless solution with a distinctive pungency, pungent smell. It is classified as a acid strength, strong acid. It is ...

: :MoO₃ + 2 HCl → MoO₂Cl₂ + H₂O MoO₂Cl₂ can also be prepared from MoOCl₄: :MoOCl₄ + O(Si(CH₃)₃)₂ → MoO₂Cl₂ + 2 ClSi(CH₃)₃ It is also prepared by chlorination of

molybdenum dioxide Molybdenum dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula MoO. It is a violet-colored solid and is a metallic conductor. The mineralogical form of this compound is called tugarinovite, and is only very rarely found. Structure It crystallizes ...

: :MoO₂ + Cl₂ → MoO₂Cl₂ It is also prepared by chlorination of molybdenum trixoide: :MoO₃ + Cl₂ → MoO₂Cl₂

Reactions

Many bis

adduct In chemistry, an adduct (; alternatively, a contraction of "addition product") is a product of a direct addition of two or more distinct molecules, resulting in a single reaction product containing all atoms of all components. The resultant is ...

s are known of the type . These octahedral molecular complexes are soluble in organic solvents. With bulky

aniline Aniline (From , meaning ' indigo shrub', and ''-ine'' indicating a derived substance) is an organic compound with the formula . Consisting of a phenyl group () attached to an amino group (), aniline is the simplest aromatic amine. It is an in ...

s, it converts to the diimido complex . This complex is the precursor to the

Schrock carbene A transition metal carbene complex is an organometallic compound featuring a divalent carbon ligand, itself also called a carbene. Carbene complexes have been synthesized from most transition metals and f-block metals, using many different synthe ...

s of the type .

Related compounds

Molybdenum difluoride dioxide exists as a sublimable white solid, in contrast to the dichloride.

References

{{Molybdenum compounds Molybdenum(VI) compounds Oxychlorides