WCL

WCL may stand for:

Tungsten hexachloride

Tungsten hexachloride is the chemical compound of tungsten and chlorine with the formula WCl₆. This dark violet blue species exists as a volatile solid under standard conditions. It is an important starting reagent in the preparation of tungsten compounds. WCl₆ is a rare example of a charge-neutral hexachloride, another example being ReCl₆. Better known than WCl₆ is the still more volatile WF₆.

As a d⁰ ion, W(VI) forms diamagnetic derivatives. The hexachloride is octahedral with equivalent W–Cl distances of 2.24–2.26 Å. In acceptor, the chloride ligands are donors in both sigma and pi sense.

Preparation

Tungsten hexachloride can be prepared by chlorinating tungsten metal in a sealed tube at 600°C:

Properties and Reactions

Tungsten (VI) chloride is a blue-black crystalline solid at room temperature. At lower temperatures, it becomes wine-red in color. A red form of the compound can be made by rapidly condensing its vapor, which reverts to the blue-black form on gentle heating. It is readily hydrolyzed in moist air, giving the orange oxychlorides WOCl₄ & WO₂Cl₂, and subsequently, tungsten trioxide. WCl₆ is soluble in carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride and phosphorus oxychloride.