Tantalum(V) iodide 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 Ta
2I
10. Its name comes from the compound's
empirical formula
In chemistry, the empirical formula of a chemical compound is the simplest whole number ratio of atoms present in a compound. A simple example of this concept is that the empirical formula of sulfur monoxide, or SO, is simply SO, as is the empir ...
, TaI
5. It is a diamagnetic, black solid that hydrolyses readily. The compound adopts an edge-shared bioctahedral structure, which means that two TaI
5 units are joined by a pair of
iodide bridges. There is no bond between the Ta centres.
Niobium(V) chloride
Niobium(V) chloride, also known as niobium pentachloride, is a yellow crystalline solid. It hydrolyzes in air, and samples are often contaminated with small amounts of Niobium oxychloride, NbOCl3. It is often used as a precursor to other compound ...
,
niobium(V) bromide,
niobium(V) iodide,
tantalum(V) chloride, and
tantalum(V) bromide all share this structural motif.
Synthesis and structure
Tantalum pentaiodide forms from the reaction of
tantalum pentoxide with
aluminium triiodide:
:
References
{{Iodides
Iodides
Tantalum(V) compounds
Metal halides