Tungsten(VI) chloride

Application

Tungsten(VI) chloride, or WCl6, serves as a vital precursor in the synthesis of a wide array of tungsten compounds, thanks to its versatile chemical properties. Under standard conditions, this blue-black solid is known for its volatility. Its octahedral structure, characterized by consistent W-Cl distances of 2.24-2.26 Å, enables the formation of diamagnetic derivatives. WCl6 easily undergoes hydrolysis when exposed to moist air, producing oxychlorides such as WOCl4 and WO2Cl2, followed by tungsten trioxide. This compound is soluble in solvents like carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, and phosphorus oxychloride, and can transform via methylation with trimethylaluminum to hexamethyl tungsten. Notably, WCl6 is a precursor to tungsten-based carbenes, which are crucial catalysts in olefin metathesis reactions. Additionally, it finds application in tungsten plating, purification processes, olefin polymerization, and acts as a catalyst in the petroleum industry and for deoxygenating epoxides. Its utility extends to the development of intelligent glass and as a valuable reagent in organic synthesis. Various tungsten reagents, pivotal for these applications, can be synthesized using WCl6 in combination with butyllithium, a lithium dispersion, or lithium iodide, emphasizing the importance of the specific ratio between WCl6 and the lithium reagent.