The reactions of molybdenum(II) chloride and molybdenum(III) chloride with liquid ammonia

The reactions of molybdenum(II) and (III) chlorides with liquid ammonia have been studied at the boiling point of ammonia and at room temperature respectively. Whereas the divalent chloride only forms an ammoniate [(Mo6Cl8)Cl4,4NH3], the tervalent chloride is solvolysed with the formation of MoCl2(NH2),2NH3. The tervalent ammonobasic chloride is undoubtedly polymeric presumably with octahedrally co-ordinated molybdenum atoms, but the ammoniate can be discussed in terms of nine co-ordination and an effective valency of six for such a molybdenum compound.