Crystal Structure of Na3MoCl6

The ternary chloride Na3MoCl6 is obtained as red crystals from a disproportionation reaction of molybdenum dichloride, {Mo6}Cl12, in an acidic NaCl/AlCl3 melt at 350 °C. The crystal structure (trigonal, P-31c, a = 687.1(1), c = 1225.3(2) pm, Z = 2, V = 501,0(1) 106 pm3) is that of Na3CrCl6: within a hexagonal closest-packing of chloride ions two thirds of the octahedral voids are filled between the AB double layers with Na+/Mo3+, and between the BA layers with Na+.