Anhydrous iron(III) chloride can be prepared by treating iron with chlorine

Alex00123 Feb, 2023Science

In contrast to the pale pink solution of [Fe(H2O)6]3+, the aqueous solution of ferric chloride is yellow. Based on spectroscopic measurements, the dominant species in aqueous ferric chloride were the octahedral complex [FeCl2(H2O)4]+ (stereochemistry not specified) and the tetrahedral [FeCl4]?. [9] Anhydrous iron(III) chloride can be prepared by treating iron with chlorine:[11] 2 Fe + 3 Cl2 ? 2 FeCl3 Iron(III) chloride solutions are produced industrially from iron and ores by a closed-loop process. Heating ferric(III) chloride hydrate does not produce anhydrous ferric chloride. Instead, the solid decomposes into hydrochloric acid and ferric oxychloride. Iron(III) chloride hydrate can be converted to the anhydrous form by treatment with thionyl chloride. [12] Likewise, dehydration can be performed with trimethylchlorosilane: [13]