Isolation of Reduced Zirconium Chloride Clusters [(Zr6CCl12)Cl6]4− and [(Zr6BCl12)Cl6]5− from Acidic Aqueous Solution

Crystallizable from concentrated hydrochloric acid : Compounds containing [(Zr₆BCl₁₂)Cl₆]⁵⁻ and [(Zr₆CCl₁₂)Cl₆]⁴⁻ clusters survive dissolution in deoxygenated water, and this enabled the study of reduced zirconium compounds in aqueous solution for the first time. In the solid state, the clusters are surrounded by novel hydrogen-bonded water networks that interact with the terminal chloride ligands (see graphic; black circles: Zr, smaller circle: B, gray circles: Cl, open circles: O of H₂O).     

Extraction and isolation of the One-electron Oxidized [(Zr6Be)Cl18]5− and [(Zr6Be)Cl18]4− Clusters from solid state precursors

One-electron oxidized zirconium chloride clusters were obtained from solid state precursors Rb₅Zr₆Cl₁₈B and K₃Zr₆Cl₁₅Be by dissolution in CH₃CN in the presence of Et₄NCl and isolated as the salts (Et₄N)₄Zr₆Cl₁₈B · 2 CH₃CN and (Et₄N)₅Zr₆Cl₁₈Be · 3 CH₃CN. (Et₄N)₄Zr₆Cl₁₈B · 2 CH₃CN crystallizes in the space group P1 (#2) with a = 12.329(5) Å, b = 12.657(6) Å, c = 13.136(8) Å, α = 118.28(4)°, β = 93.45(4)°, γ = 105.54(3)°, V = 1696(2) ų, and Z = 1. (Et₄N)₅Zr₆Cl₁₈Be · 3 CH₃CN was refined in the space group C2/c (# 15) with a = 24.166(11) Å, b = 13.265(6) Å, c = 25.86(2) Å, β = 104.21(4)°, V = 8037(7) ų, and Z = 4; the space group reflects the pseudo-symmetry of the crystal, the true symmetry of the structure is lower. The removal of one electron from the Zr? Zr bonding HOMO of both clusters results in cluster expansion of similar magnitude in both compounds. Moisture from the added Et₄NCl is the likely oxidant, but the possibility that acetonitrile may be reduced by [(Zr₆Be)Cl₁₈]^6? is not ruled out.