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Photoreduction of FeCl4− in Alcohol

Nature volume 166, pages 959–960 (1950)Cite this article

Abstract

IN aqueous solutions containing ferric ions and chloride ions below molar concentration, FeCl2+ is the main species present1; in ethyl alcohol, on the other hand, above a 10−2 molar concentration of lithium chloride (LiCl) the ion FeCl4− is practically the only complex occurring. We have shown by a spectrophotometric study of the system Fe(ClO4)3+ LiCl in alcohol in conjunction with conductometric titrations that in a concentration range of 10−2–1 M lithium chloride (the ferric perchlorate concentration being of the order of 10−4M) the anion complex FeCl4− is quantitatively formed. The absorption spectrum of FeCl4− is distinct from that of the lower ferric chloride, the ferric hydroxide and the ferric ethoxide compounds. FeCl4− (as shown spectro-photometrically) occurs also in ether extracts of ferric chloride solutions in 6 M aqueous hydrochloric acid. In previous work2–5 the occurrence of FeCl4− has not been recognized, and as a result the experiments were wrongly interpreted.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, University of Manchester, Manchester, 13

    G. J. BREALEY, M. G. EVANS & N. URI

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  1. G. J. BREALEY
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  2. M. G. EVANS
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  3. N. URI
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BREALEY, G., EVANS, M. & URI, N. Photoreduction of FeCl4− in Alcohol. Nature 166, 959–960 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/166959a0

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