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Title: Synthesis Of Pentaaminechlorocobalt(III) Chloride, [Co(NH

3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2

Objective
To synthesize the pentaaminechlorocobalt(III) chloride complex.
Introduction
Coordination compounds are called such as they contain ions or molecules,
coordinated, or linked to a transition metal. They are also known as coordination
complexes or complex ions because they are Lewis acid-base complexes. The ions
or molecules that bound to the central transition metal ion are known as ligands
while coordination number is defined as the number of ligands bound to the central
transition metal ion.
Complex compounds comprise of a large group of chemical compounds and
is derived from chemical elements, primarily from metals and in particular
transition metals. Coordination complexes exists in different forms, such as SO
4
2-
,
MnO
4
-
, [FeCN
6
]
2-
, etc.
Many metallic salts exists in the hydrated form, for instance, CoCl
2
.6H
2
O
and consists of the complex ion such as [Co(H
2
O)
6
]
2+
here, six water molecules act
as the ligand bonding directly to the central metal ion, Co
2+
, by coordinate bond
through the donor atom from the ligand, that is, the oxygen atom from the H
2
O
ligand.
The ligands are arranged in an ordered manner around the central metal
atom. Although there are a number of stereochemistry's associated with these
complexes but the most common ones are those of coordination number 4 ( with
tetrahedral or square planar geometries ) and 6 ( with geometries that approximate
an octahedron ).
The objective of this experiment is to synthesize the
chloropentaaminecobalt(III) chloride complex. The scheme of the reactions for the
preparation is given below:
2 CoCl
2
.6H
2
O + 2 NH
4
Cl + 8 NH
3
+ H
2
O
2
---> 2 [Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
+ 12 H
2
O
[Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
----> [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
+ H
2
O
Apparatus
Beaker
Glass rod
Buchner funnel
Vacuum pump
Materials
Aqueous concentrate ammonia solution
Ammonium chloride
Cobalt (II) chloride 6-hydrate
Hydrogen peroxide solution
Concentrated hydrochloric acid
Procedures
1) In 7.5 ml aqueous concentrated ammonia solution, 1.25 g ammonium
chloride was added.
2) With stirring, 2.5 g cobalt (II) chloride 6-hydrate was added in small portion.
The next portion was not added until the added portion had dissolved. A
yellow precipitate was formed easily.
3) To the slurry above, with stirring, hydrogen peroxide solution (2.0 ml, 30%
v/v) was added slowly. A strong reaction occurred.
4) After the reaction had stopped, 7.5 ml concentrated hydrochloric acid was
added slowly to the red aquapentaamine solution.
5) The product was heated on a hot water bath for 20 minutes.
6) The product was then filtered off by vacuum suction and washed with cold
water.
Results and Calculations
Mass of cobalt (II) chloride 6-hydrate used = 2.4878 g
Mass of ammonium chloride = 1.2504 g
Mass of watch glass = 30.7527 g
Mass of watch glass + product = 31.8420 g
Mass of product = 1.0893 g

No. of mole of cobalt (II) chloride 6-hydrate used =



= 0.0105 mol
No. of mole of ammonium chloride =



= 0.0234 mol
2 CoCl
2
.6H
2
O + 2 NH
4
Cl + 8 NH
3
+ H
2
O
2
---> 2 [Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
+ 12 H
2
O
[Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
----> [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
+ H
2
O
Cobalt (II) chloride 6-hydrate is the limiting agent in this experiment as
ammonium chloride was added in excess.
2 moles CoCl
2
.6H
2
O produce 2 moles [Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
.
0.0105 mole CoCl
2
.6H
2
O produce 0.0105 mole [Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
.
1 mole [Co(NH
3
)
5
(H
2
O)]Cl
3
produces 1 mole [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
.
Hence, no. of mole of [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
produced =

= 0.00525 mol

Molar mass of product, [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
= 250.44 g/mol
Theoretical mass of product, [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
= 250.44 g/mol x 0.00525 mol
= 1.3148 g
Percentage yield of product, [Co(NH
3
)
5
Cl]Cl
2
=


x 100%
=


x 100%
= 82.85 %

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