A journey through ternary lead chlorido tungstates by thermal scanning

The reduction of tungsten hexachloride with lead powder was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) combined with X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Intermediate compounds along the way of the reduction of W⁶⁺ to W²⁺ were detected, prepared by solid-state synthesis, and structurally characterized by X-ray diffraction techniques. Five new compounds, namely Pb_0.5WCl₆, PbW₂Cl₁₀, Pb_1.5[W₃Cl₁₃], Pb₂Cl[W₃Cl₁₃], and Pb[W₆Cl₁₄] are discovered to be formed with increasing temperature, and structurally characterized within this study. The analysis of the reduction pathway is meant to gain a better understanding of the metallothermic reduction process and intercalation chemistry in the solid state.