Question
Give preparation and properties of PCl5.
Solution
Preparation of PCl5
(i) It can be prepared by the action of excess of dry chlorine on phosphorus trichloride.
PCl3 + Cl2→PCl5
(ii) It can also be prepared by the action of sulphuryl chloride (SO2Cl2) on phosphorus or phosphorus trichloride.
Properties:
(i) When heated, it sublimes at about 430 k and dissociates
(ii) PCl5 a yellowish white powder and in moist air, it hydrolyses to POCl3 and finally gets converted to phosphoric acid.
PCl5 + H2O → POCl3 + 2HCl
POCl3 + 3H2O → H3PO4 + 3HCl