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Cobalt(III) hexammine chloride



Cobalt(III) hexammine chloride
IUPAC name Hexaamminecobalt(III) chloride
Other names Cobalt hexammine chloride
Identifiers
CAS number 10534-89-1
Properties
Molecular formula H18N6Cl3Co
Molar mass 267.48 g/mol
Appearance yellow or orange crystals
Density  ? g/cm3, ?
Melting point

decomposes

Solubility in water 0.26M (20 °C)
tribromide: 0.04M (18 °C)
Solubility in other solvents soluble in NH3
Structure
Coordination
geometry
octahedral
Dipole moment 0 D
Hazards
Main hazards poison
R-phrases 36/37/38
S-phrases none
Related Compounds
Other anions [Co(NH3)6]Br3
[Co(NH3)6](OAc)3
Other cations [Cr(NH3)6]Cl3
[Ni(NH3)6]Cl2
Related compounds [Co(H2NCH2CH2NH2)3]Cl3

[Co(NH3)5(H2O)]Cl3
[Co(NH3)5Cl]Cl2

Except where noted otherwise, data are given for
materials in their standard state
(at 25 °C, 100 kPa)

Infobox disclaimer and references

Cobalt(III) hexammine chloride is the chemical compound with the formula [Co(NH3)6]Cl3. This coordination compound is considered an archetypal "Werner complex", named after the pioneer of coordination chemistry, Alfred Werner. This salt consists of [Co(NH3)6]3+ trications with three Cl- anions. The term "ammine" refers to ammonia in its metal complexes.

Properties and structure

[Co(NH3)6]3+ is diamagnetic, with a low-spin octahedral Co(III) center. The cation obeys the 18-electron rule and is considered to be a classic example of an exchange inert metal complex. As a manifestation of its inertness, [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 can be recrystallized unchanged from concentrated hydrochloric acid: the NH3 is so tightly bound to the Co(III) centers that it does not dissociate to allow its protonation. In contrast, labile metal ammine complexes, such as [Ni(NH3)6]Cl2, react rapidly with acids reflecting the lability of the Ni(II)-NH3 bonds. Upon heating, hexamminecobalt(III) begins to lose some of its ammine ligands, eventually producing a stronger oxidant.

The chlorides in [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 can be exchanged with a variety of other anions such as nitrate, bromide, and iodide to afford the corresponding [Co(NH3)6]X3 derivative. Such salts are bright yellow and display varying degrees of water solubility.

Preparation

Since CoCl3 is not available, [Co(NH3)6]Cl3 is prepared from cobalt(II) chloride. The latter is treated with ammonia and ammonium chloride followed by oxidation. Oxidants include hydrogen peroxide or oxygen in the presence of charcoal catalyst.[1] This salt appears to have been first reported by Fremy.[2]

The acetate salt can be prepared by aerobic oxidation of cobalt(II) acetate, ammonium acetate, and ammonia in methanol.[3] The acetate salt is highly water-soluble to the level of 1.9M (20 °C), vs. 0.26M for the trichloride.

[Co(NH3)6]3+ is a component of some protein crystallization methods to help solve their structures by X-ray crystallography.

References

  1. ^ Bjerrum, J.; McReynolds, J. P. "Hexamminecobalt(III) Salts" Inorganic Syntheses, 1946, volume II, pages 216-221.
  2. ^ Fremy Annales de chimie et de physique, 1852, volume 35, page 257ff.
  3. ^ Lindholm, R. D. "Hexamminecobalt(III) Salts" Inorganic Syntheses, 1978, volume XVIII, pages 67-69.
 
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cobalt(III)_hexammine_chloride". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.
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