Iodine trichloride

Iodine trichloride
Full structural formula of the dimer
Space-filling model of the dimer
Commercial sample of iodine trichloride
Names
IUPAC name
Iodine trichloride
Other names
Diiodine hexachloride
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.011.582 Edit this at Wikidata
UNII
  • InChI=1S/Cl3I/c1-4(2)3 checkY
    Key: PAWIVBWALDNUJP-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • InChI=1/Cl3I/c1-4(2)3
    Key: PAWIVBWALDNUJP-UHFFFAOYAF
Properties
I2Cl6
Molar mass 466.5281 g/mol
Appearance yellow solid
Density 3.11 g/cm3
Melting point 63 °C (145 °F; 336 K)
−90.2×10−6 cm3/mol
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Iodine trichloride is an interhalogen compound of iodine and chlorine. It is bright yellow but upon time and exposure to light it turns red due to the presence of elemental iodine. In the solid state is present as a planar dimer I2Cl6, with two bridging Cl atoms.[1]

It can be prepared by reacting iodine with an excess of liquid chlorine at −70 °C,[2] or heating a mixture of liquid iodine and chlorine gas to 105 °C.[citation needed] In the molten state it is conductive, which may indicate dissociation:[2]

I2Cl6 ⇌ ICl+
2 + ICl−
4

It is an oxidizing agent, capable of causing fire on contact with organic materials.

  1. ^ K. H. Boswijk; E. H. Wiebenga (1954). "The crystal structure of I2Cl6 (ICl3)". Acta Crystallographica. 7 (5): 417–423. doi:10.1107/S0365110X54001260.
  2. ^ a b Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.