Sodium hexachloroosmate 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 . A red solid, it is the disodium salt of the osmium(IV) complex . The anion is an octahedral complex with Os-Cl distance of 2.325(3) Å, as established by

X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography is the experimental science of determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to Diffraction, diffract in specific directions. By measuring th ...

. The compound can be prepared by reaction of a suspension of

osmium Osmium () is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Os and atomic number 76. It is a hard, brittle, bluish-white transition metal in the platinum group that is found as a Abundance of elements in Earth's crust, trace element in a ...

metal in molten sodium chloride with

chlorine Chlorine is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Cl and atomic number 17. The second-lightest of the halogens, it appears between fluorine and bromine in the periodic table and its properties are mostly intermediate between ...

: : Hexachloroosmate is

paramagnetic Paramagnetism is a form of magnetism whereby some materials are weakly attracted by an externally applied magnetic field, and form internal, induced magnetic fields in the direction of the applied magnetic field. In contrast with this behavior, ...

, with a low-spin d⁴ configuration.

Reactions

Sodium hexachloroosmate reacts with a solution of ammonium chloride to produce

ammonium hexachloroosmate(IV) Ammonium hexachloroosmate(IV) is an inorganic chemical compound with the chemical formula . Synthesis Ammonium hexachloroosmate(IV) can be produced by the reduction of osmium tetroxide or potassium osmate with iron dichloride in hydrochloric acid ...

. Upon exposure to strong alkali, hexachloroosmates will decompose to

osmium dioxide Osmium dioxide is an inorganic compound with the formula . It exists as brown to black crystalline powder, but single crystals are golden and exhibit metallic conductivity. The compound crystallizes in the rutile structural motif, i.e. the connec ...

. They react with excess ammonia to form so-called

osmium diammine hydroxide Osmium diammine hydroxide (also known as osmium oxydiammine dihydroxide) is a proposed inorganic chemical compound with the formula . It exists as a brown powder that is insoluble in water. The compound is claimed to be produced by reducing osmi ...

, Sodium hexachloroosmate reacts with triphenylphosphine to form various complexes. When a solution of sodium hexachloroosmate and formalin is added to a boiling solution of triphenylphosphine in 2-methoxyethanol, is formed. :•6 + 3 With an aqueous solution containing potassium hydroxide and formaldehyde they react to produce . :•6 + 3 With ethanol and sodium borohydride they react to produce . :•6 + 3 With 2-methoxyethanol and ''n''-methyl-''n''-nitrosotoluene sulfonamide they react to yield . :•6 + 2 + p- → .

References

{{osmium compounds Osmium compounds Chloro complexes Sodium compounds