Anhydrous chromium(III) chloride adopts the YCl₃ structure, with Cr³⁺ occupying one third of the octahedral interstices in alternating layers of a pseudo-cubic close packed lattice of Cl⁻ ions.
The absence of cations in alternate layers leads to weak bonding between adjacent layers.
For this reason, crystals of CrCl₃ cleave easily along the planes between layers, which results in the flaky (micaceous) appearance of samples of chromium(III) chloride.
Anhydrous chromium(III) chloride adopts the YCl₃ structure, with Cr³⁺ occupying one third of the octahedral interstices in alternating layers of a pseudo-cubic close packed lattice of Cl⁻ ions. The absence of cations in alternate layers leads to weak bonding between adjacent layers. For this reason, crystals of CrCl₃ cleave easily along the planes between layers, which results in the flaky (micaceous) appearance of samples of chromium(III) chloride.
Chromium(III) chloride