Niobium IV iodide

This mode of reaction for the iodides is consistent with the lower stability of the pentaiodides. For example, it has been shown that niobium (IV) iodide can be prepared by dissociation at temperatures as low as 270° (Equation 8). 

Apparently the dissociation is enhanced in pyridine, owing to formation of the stable complexes of both niobium (IV) iodide and elemental iodine. Although some reduction of tantalum (V) iodide also occurred in pyridine, the analytical data suggest that this reaction was not complete, and that some unreduced tantalum (V) iodide remained in the washed product. By comparison with niobium (V) iodide, the smaller extent of reduction of tantalum (V) iodide may be accounted for in terms of the greater stability of the latter toward the dissociation shown in Equation 8. 

Reactions of Tantalum(V) and Niobium(V) Iodides with Pyridine. Both niobium(V) and tantalum(V) iodide were reduced in pyridine. In each case the di-adduct of pyridine with the metal tetraiodide was produced, along with elemental iodine as its pyridine complex. The two reduction products were identified by analysis after washing with chloroform to remove the iodine liberated in the reaction. Further identification of the tantalum product was provided by x-ray diffraction data, which compared favorably to those obtained for samples of the tetraiododi(pyridine)niobium (IV) as shown in Table V. 

Niobium(V) bromide Niobium(V) chloride Niobium(V) fluoride Niobium(V) iodide Niobium nitride Niobium(II) oxide Niobium(IV) oxide Niobium(V) oxide Nitric acid Nitric oxide Nitrogen... 

The known halides of vanadium, niobium and tantalum, are listed in Table 22.6. These are illustrative of the trends within this group which have already been alluded to. Vanadium(V) is only represented at present by the fluoride, and even vanadium(IV) does not form the iodide, though all the halides of vanadium(III) and vanadium(II) are known. Niobium and tantalum, on the other hand, form all the halides in the high oxidation state, and are in fact unique (apart only from protactinium) in forming pentaiodides. However in the -t-4 state, tantalum fails to form a fluoride and neither metal produces a trifluoride. In still lower oxidation states, niobium and tantalum give a number of (frequently nonstoichiometric) cluster compounds which can be considered to involve fragments of the metal lattice. 

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