Abstract
Schläffer and Götz1 have recently prepared a complex cyanide of titanium by reacting a liquid ammonia solution of titanium (III) bromide with excess potassium cyanide. Chemical analysis of the dark green precipitate leads to the empirical formula K5Ti(CN)8. However, comparison of the absorption spectra with those of known trivalent titanium complexes2,3 showed that the compound contained hexaco-ordinate titanium and should be assigned the formula K3Ti(CN)6·2KCN. Although eight co-ordinate titanium (III) has been reported4, and cyanide usually results in the highest co-ordination number of the central metal ion, the agreement of the absorption spectra with hexaco-ordinate complexes makes the higher co-ordination doubtful3. Carduck5 has also reported the existence of a dark green complex cyanide of titanium having the formula K3Ti(CN)6·3KCl prepared by mixing stoichio-metric solutions of titanium (III) chloride and potassium cyanide in liquid ammonia. The excess potassium chloride could not be removed from the precipitate by repeated washings with liquid ammonia. It is not clear how the excess potassium cyanide or potassium chloride is bound to the parent complex3, but the bond is apparently strong enough to resist removal when washed with excess liquid ammonia1,5.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Schläffer, H. L., and Götz, R., Z. anorg. allgem. Chem., 309, 104 (1961).
Hartmann, H., and Schläffer, H. L., Z. phys. Chem., 197, 116 (1951).
Griffith, W. P., Quart. Rev., 16, 188 (1962).
Clark, R. J. H., Lewis, J., Nyholm, R. S., Pauling, P., and Robertson, G. B., Nature, 192, 222 (1961).
Carduck, F. J., thesis, Technische Hochschule, Aachen (1957).
Furman, N. H. (edit.), Scott's Standard Methods of Analysis, fifth ed., 2079 (D. van Nostrand Co., New York, 1939).
Cotton, F. A., and Wilkinson, G., Advanced Inorganic Chemistry, 672 (Interscience Publishers, New York, 1962).
ibid., 572.
Brigando, J., C.R. Acad. Sci., Paris, 208, 197 (1939).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
HEINTZ, E. Observations on Potassium Hexacyanotitanate (III). Nature 197, 690 (1963). https://doi.org/10.1038/197690a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/197690a0
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.