Neptunium tetrachloride

Neptunium tetrachloride is a binary inorganic compound of neptunium metal and chlorine with the chemical formula .

Synthesis

The compound can be prepared by:

• the reaction of neptunium nitride with HCl:

• the reaction of neptunium sesquisulfide with HCl:

• the reaction of carbon tetrachloride with neptunium(IV) oxide or . Neptunium tetrachloride is formed as a yellow sublimate.

Other reactions are also used.

Physical properties

crystallizes in tetragonal crystal system of space group I4/amd.

Chemical properties

The compound reacts with ammonia to produce neptunium trichloride:

Neptunium tetrachloride can be reduced to neptunium trichloride by hydrogen at 450 °C.

NpCl₄ can form Lewis base adducts with non-protic solvents such as 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME), pyridine and acetonitrile. These compounds are more accessible in practice than the binary NpCl₄ salt. Solvates of the general formula NpCl₄L_x may thus be isolated. The most commonly used starting material for metal-organic neptunium chemistry is NpCl₄(DME)₂, which can be isolated as a pink powder.

References