Selenium oxydichloride 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 SeOCl₂. It is a colorless liquid. With a high dielectric constant (55) and high specific conductance, it is an attractive solvent. Structurally, it is a close chemical relative of

thionyl chloride Thionyl chloride is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a moderately Volatility (chemistry), volatile, colourless liquid with an unpleasant acrid odour. Thionyl chloride is primarily used as a Halogenation, chlorinating reagen ...

SOCl₂, being a pyramidal molecule.

Preparation and reactions

Selenium oxydichloride can be prepared by several methods, and a common one involves the conversion of

selenium dioxide Selenium dioxide is the chemical compound with the formula SeO2. This colorless solid is one of the most frequently encountered compounds of selenium. It is used in making specialized glasses as well as a reagent in organic chemistry. Properties ...

to dichloroselenious acid followed by dehydration: :SeO₂ + 2 HCl → Se(OH)₂Cl₂ :Se(OH)₂Cl₂ → SeOCl₂ + H₂O The original synthesis involved the

redistribution reaction In chemistry, redistribution usually refers to the exchange of anionic ligands bonded to metal and metalloid centers. The conversion does not involve redox Redox ( , , reduction–oxidation or oxidation–reduction) is a type of chemical ...

of selenium dioxide and

selenium tetrachloride Selenium tetrachloride is the inorganic compound composed with the formula SeCl4. This compound exists as yellow to white volatile solid. It is one of two commonly available selenium chlorides, the other example being selenium monochloride, Se2 ...

. Pure selenium oxydichloride autoionizes to a dimer: :SeOCl₂ ↔ (SeO)₂Cl + Cl⁻ The SeOCl₂ is generally a labile

Lewis acid A Lewis acid (named for the American physical chemist Gilbert N. Lewis) is a chemical species that contains an empty orbital which is capable of accepting an electron pair from a Lewis base to form a Lewis adduct. A Lewis base, then, is any ...

and solutions of

sulfur trioxide Sulfur trioxide (alternative spelling sulphur trioxide) is the chemical compound with the formula SO3. It has been described as "unquestionably the most conomicallyimportant sulfur oxide". It is prepared on an industrial scale as a precursor to ...

in SeOCl₂ likely form eOClsup>+ O₃Clsup>− the same way. The compound hydrolyzes readily to form

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 ...

and

, and very few organic compounds dissolve in it without reaction. At elevated temperatures, it is a strong oxidizer, yielding a chloride,

, and

diselenium dichloride Selenium monochloride or diselenium dichloride is an inorganic compound with the formula . Although a common name for the compound is selenium monochloride, reflecting its empirical formula, IUPAC does not recommend that name, instead preferring t ...

References

Selenium(IV) compounds Oxychlorides Inorganic solvents {{inorganic-compound-stub

Preparation and reactions

See also

References