Beryllium chloride

Quality 0.50 · 2 views · Updated 2 months ago

title: "Beryllium chloride" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["beryllium-compounds", "chlorides", "alkaline-earth-metal-halides", "acid-catalysts", "inorganic-polymers"] topic_path: "science/chemistry" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryllium_chloride" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

| Verifiedfields = changed | Watchedfields = changed | verifiedrevid = 470445523 | Name = Beryllium chloride | ImageFile = BeCl2polymer.png | ImageFile1 = Beta-Beryllium iodide.png | ImageSize1 = 250px | ImageFile2 = Alpha-Beryllium iodide.png | ImageSize2 = 250px | IUPACName = Beryllium chloride | Section1 = {{Chembox Identifiers | ChemSpiderID_Ref = | ChemSpiderID = 22991 | InChI = 1/Be.2ClH/h;21H/q+2;;/p-2 | InChIKey = LWBPNIJBHRISSS-NUQVWONBAX | SMILES = [Be+2].[Cl-].[Cl-] | SMILES_Comment = ionic depiction | SMILES1 = Cl[Be]Cl | SMILES1_Comment = covalent monomer | SMILES2 = ClBe-2([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1([Cl+]1)[Cl+][Be-2]1(Cl)Cl | SMILES2_Comment = polymer | StdInChI_Ref = | StdInChI = 1S/Be.2ClH/h;21H/q+2;;/p-2 | StdInChIKey_Ref = | StdInChIKey = LWBPNIJBHRISSS-UHFFFAOYSA-L | CASNo_Ref = | CASNo = 7787-47-5 | UNII_Ref = | UNII = 58B7024067 | PubChem = 24588 | RTECS = DS2625000 | Section2 = {{Chembox Properties | Formula = BeCl2 | MolarMass = 79.9182 g/mol | Appearance = White or yellow crystals | Density = 1.899 g/cm3, solid | Solubility = 15.1 g/100 mL (20 °C) | MeltingPtC = 399 | BoilingPtC = 482 | SolubleOther = soluble in alcohol, ether, benzene, and pyridine slightly soluble in chloroform and sulfur dioxide | Section3 = {{Chembox Structure | CrystalStruct = hexagonal | MolShape = polymer | Section4 = {{Chembox Thermochemistry | DeltaHf = −6.136 kJ/g or −494 kJ/mol | DeltaHc = 16 kJ/mol | DeltaGf = −468 kJ/mol | Entropy = 63 J/mol K | HeatCapacity = 7.808 J/K or 71.1 J/mol K | Section7 = {{Chembox Hazards | LD50 = 86 mg/kg (rat, oral) | REL = Ca C 0.0005 mg/m3 (as Be) | PEL = TWA 0.002 mg/m3 C 0.005 mg/m3 (30 minutes), with a maximum peak of 0.025 mg/m3 (as Be) | IDLH = Ca [4 mg/m3 (as Be)] | Section8 = {{Chembox Related | OtherAnions = Beryllium fluoride Beryllium bromide Beryllium iodide | OtherCations = Magnesium chloride Calcium chloride Strontium chloride Barium chloride Radium chloride

Beryllium chloride is an inorganic compound with the formula BeCl2. It is a colourless, hygroscopic solid that dissolves well in many polar solvents. Its properties are similar to those of aluminium chloride, due to beryllium's diagonal relationship with aluminium.

Structure and synthesis

Beryllium chloride is prepared by reaction of the metal with chlorine at high temperatures: :Be + Cl2 → BeCl2 BeCl2 can also be prepared by carbothermal reduction of beryllium oxide in the presence of chlorine. BeCl2 can be prepared by treating beryllium with hydrogen chloride.

Two forms (polymorphs) of BeCl2 are known. Both structures consist tetrahedral Be2+ centers interconnected by doubly bridging chloride ligands. One form consist of edge-sharing polytetrahedra. The other form resembles zinc iodide with interconnected adamantane-like cages. In contrast, BeF2 is a 3-dimensional polymer, with a structure akin to that of quartz.

In the gas phase, BeCl2 exists both as a linear monomer and a bridged dimer with two bridging chlorine atoms where the beryllium atom is 3-coordinate. The linear shape of the monomeric form is as predicted by VSEPR theory. The linear shape contrasts with the monomeric forms of some of the dihalides of the heavier members of group 2, e.g. CaF2, SrF2, BaF2, SrCl2, BaCl2, BaBr2, and BaI2, which are all non-linear. Beryllium chloride dissolves to give tetrahedral [Be(OH2)4]2+ ion in aqueous solutions as confirmed by vibrational spectroscopy.

Reactions

When treated with water, beryllium chloride forms a tetrahydrate, BeCl2•4H2O ([Be(H2O)4]Cl2). BeCl2 is also soluble in some ethers.

When suspended in diethyl ether, beryllium chloride converts to the colorless dietherate: : This ether ligand can be displaced by other Lewis bases.

Beryllium chloride forms complexes with phosphines. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/53/Phosphine_Coordination_with_a_BeCl2_Complex.png" caption="Phosphine type coordination with a Be Halide Complex"] ::

Applications

Beryllium chloride is used as a raw material for the electrolysis of beryllium, and as a catalyst for Friedel-Crafts reactions.

References

References

  1. {{PGCH. 0054
  2. Irving R. Tannenbaum "Beryllium Chloride" ''Inorganic Syntheses'', 1957, vol. 5, p. 22. {{doi. 10.1002/9780470132364.ch7
  3. Cotton, F. A.; Wilkinson, G. (1980) ''Advanced Inorganic Chemistry'' John Wiley and Sons, Inc: New York, {{ISBN. 0-471-02775-8.
  4. Troyanov, S.I.. (2000). "Crystal Modifications of Beryllium Dihalides BeCl2, BeBr2 and BeI2". Zhurnal Neorganicheskoi Khimii.
  5. {{Greenwood&Earnshaw
  6. (2009). "Hydration of Beryllium(II) in Aqueous Solutions of Common Inorganic Salts. A Combined Vibrational Spectroscopic and ''ab initio'' Molecular Orbital Study". Dalton Transactions.
  7. {{RubberBible87th
  8. Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. (2001) ''Inorganic Chemistry'' Academic Press: San Diego, {{ISBN. 0-12-352651-5
  9. (2023). "Structure and Spectroscopic Properties of Etherates of the Beryllium Halides". Zeitschrift für Naturforschung B.
  10. (2017-01-19). "Beryllium Phosphine Complexes: Synthesis, Properties, and Reactivity of (PMe3)2BeCl2 and (Ph2PC3H6PPh2)BeCl2". Angewandte Chemie International Edition.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

beryllium-compoundschloridesalkaline-earth-metal-halidesacid-catalystsinorganic-polymers