What Is Chlorine Oxide?
Chlorine oxide is the general term for the oxides of chlorine.
Specific compounds of chlorine oxide include dichlorine monoxide, chlorine dioxide, and dichlorine tetraoxide.
Other chlorine oxides include dichlorine hexaoxide (dichlorine hexaoxide) and dichlorine heptaoxide (dichlorine heptaoxide).
Uses of Chlorine Oxide
1. Dichlorine Monochloride
Dichlorine monochloride is used for bleaching pulp, flour, leather, fats, oils, and fibers, disinfecting and deodorizing water. It is also used as an oxidizing agent and a chlorinating agent.
2. Monochlorine Dioxide
Several similar uses of monochlorine dioxide exist. For example, it is used as a bleaching agent for paper, resins, fibers, flour, honey, etc., as well as an oxidizer and deodorizer. It is also used as a raw material for the manufacture of chlorite, among other things.
Monochlorine dioxide is characterized by its strong oxidizing power, which causes protein denaturation and disruption of cell membranes. It is therefore used as an antiseptic, antifungal agent, insecticide, and fungicide.
3. Dichlorine Heptaoxide
Dichlorine heptaoxide can be used as an oxidizing agent.
Properties of Chlorine Oxide
1. Dichlorine Monoxide
Dichlorine monoxide is a yellowish-brown gas under room temperature conditions and is explosive. Its melting point is -120.6 °C and its boiling point is 2.0 °C. It decomposes pyrolytically at 100-140 °C. It is soluble in water and reacts with water to form hypochlorous acid (HClO).
2. Monochlorine Dioxide
Monochlorine dioxide is a yellow to reddish-yellow gas at room temperature. Its melting point is -59 °C and its boiling point is 11 °C. Monochlorine dioxide decomposes under light.
It is explosive upon impact or contact with organic materials. It is soluble in water and yellow crystals can be obtained from an aqueous solution.
Structure of Chlorine Oxide
1. Dichlorine Monoxide
The chemical formula of chlorine dichloride monoxide is Cl2O and its molecular weight is 86.91. Cl-O is 1.7 Å and ∠Cl-O-Cl is 110.89°. It has a folded line structure.
2. Monochlorine Dioxide
The chemical formula of monochlorine dioxide is ClO2 and its molecular weight is 67.45. Cl-O is 1.47 Å and angle O-Cl-O is 117.40°, forming a line structure.
3. Dichlorine Tetroxide
The chemical formula of chlorine tetroxide is Cl2O4 and its molecular weight is 134.90. At -150°C, ClO2 forms a weak bond, the dimer OCl(μ-O)2ClO.
Other Information on Chlorine Oxide
1. Synthesis of Chlorine Oxide
Chlorine Monoxide (II)
Can be obtained by the reaction of mercury (II) oxide with chlorine.
Monochlorine Dioxide
Formed by the reaction of chlorates of alkali metals with concentrated sulfuric acid containing sulfur dioxide.
Dichlorine Tetrachloride
Cl(ClO4) can be produced by the reaction of cesium perchlorate (CsClO4) with sulfuryl chloride (ClSO2F) as Cl(ClO4), which together with CsSO2F is highly unstable Cl(ClO4) is considered to be the perchlorate of chlorine.
2. Characteristics of Chlorine Oxide
At room temperature, chlorine oxide is a reddish-brown oily liquid with a melting point of 3.5 °C and a boiling point of 203 °C. The chemical formula of chlorine hexoxide is Cl2O6 and its molecular weight is 166.90. The structure of chlorine hexoxide is believed to be [ClO2]+[ClO4]-.
Gaseous chlorine dichloride exists as an equilibrium state with ClO3 molecules. The reaction of chlorine dioxide (ClO2) with ozone (O3) at -10 °C yields dichlorine hexoxide. It is also produced by the photochemical reaction of chlorine (Cl2) and ozone (O3). Dihydrochloric oxide reacts with water to form chloric acid (HClO3) and perchloric acid (HClO4).
3. Characteristics of Dihydrochloric Oxide
Dihydrochloric oxide is a colorless, oily liquid. It has a density of 1.86 g/cm3, a melting point of -91.5 °C, a boiling point of 81 °C, and is explosive on impact.
The chemical formula of chlorine heptaoxide is Cl2O7 and its molecular weight is 182.90. The molecular structure of both gaseous and solid dichlorine heptaoxide is two tetrahedral forms of ClO4, each sharing one oxygen atom, forming a dimer form.
The reaction of phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) with perchloric acid (HClO4) at low temperatures can produce dichlorine heptaoxide. Dichlorine heptaoxide explodes on impact and decomposes into oxygen (O2) and chlorine (Cl2) when heated.