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Concept
Iron(III) chloride
Summary
Iron(III) chloride describes the inorganic compounds with the formula (H2O)x. Also called ferric chloride, these compounds are available both in anhydrous and hydrated forms which are both hygroscopic. They are common sources of iron in its +3 oxidation state. The anhydrous derivative is a Lewis acid, while the hydrate is a mild oxidizing agent. It is used as a water cleaner and as an etchant for metals.
All forms of ferric chloride are paramagnetic, owing to the presence of five unpaired electrons residing in 3d orbitals. This electronic configuration places electrons in molecular orbitals that are antibonding with respect to ligands. Thus, iron(III) chlorides are labile, undergoing rapid ligand exchange in solution. In contrast to their kinetic lability, iron(III) chlorides are thermodynamically robust, as reflected by the vigorous methods applied to their synthesis.
The anhydrous compound is a hygroscopic crystalline solid with a melting point of 307.6 °C. The colour depends on the viewing angle: by reflected light, the crystals appear dark green, but by transmitted light, they appear purple-red. Anhydrous iron(III) chloride has the structure, with octahedral Fe(III) centres interconnected by two-coordinate chloride ligands.
Iron(III) chloride has a relatively low melting point and boils at around 315 °C. The vapor consists of the dimer (like aluminium chloride) which increasingly dissociates into the monomeric (with D3h point group molecular symmetry) at higher temperatures, in competition with its reversible decomposition to give iron(II) chloride and chlorine gas.
In addition to the anhydrous material, ferric chloride aggressively forms hydrates upon exposure to water, reflecting its Lewis acidity. Four of these hydrates have been crystallized and examined by X-ray crystallography. They all exhibit deliquesce and feature trans- cations, with either chloride or as the anions.
dihydrate: has the structural formula trans-.
has the structural formula cis-.
has the structural formula cis-.
Official source
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