| Hexamminecobalt(III) chloride | |
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Hexaamminecobalt(III) chloride |
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Other names
Cobalt hexammine chloride, hexaamminecobalt(III) chloride |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 10534-89-1 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | H18N6Cl3Co |
| Molar mass | 267.48 g/mol |
| Appearance | yellow or orange crystals |
| Density | 1.71 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 | |
| R-phrases | 36/37/38 |
| S-phrases | none |
| Main hazards | poison |
| 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 |
| (verify) (what is: /?) Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
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| Infobox references | |
Hexamminecobalt(III) 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, and the prefix hex (Greek: six) indicates that there are six ammonias per cation.
Originally this compound was described as a "luteo" (Latin: yellow) complex, but this name has been discarded as modern chemistry considers color less important than molecular structure. Other similar complexes also had color names, such as purpureo (Latin: purple) for a pentammine complex, and praseo (Greek: green) and violeo (Latin: violet) for two isomeric tetrammine complexes. [1]
[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.
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.[2] This salt appears to have been first reported by Fremy.[3]
The acetate salt can be prepared by aerobic oxidation of cobalt(II) acetate, ammonium acetate, and ammonia in methanol.[4] 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.