Structure
Unlike molecular TiCl4, solid ZrCl4 adopts a polymeric structure wherein each Zr is octahedrally coordinated. This difference in structures is responsible for the striking difference in their properties: TiCl4 is distillable, but ZrCl4 is a solid with a high melting point. In the solid state, ZrCl4 adopts a tape-like linear polymeric structure—the same structure adopted by HfCl4. This polymer degrades readily upon treatment with Lewis bases, which cleave the Zr-Cl-Zr linkages.
Read more about this topic: Zirconium(IV) Chloride
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