Molybdenum chloride by MP Biomedicals is a high grade reagent. This inorganic compound is a dimer compound. The reagent is available as a black powder which is soluble in dry ether, dry alcohol, organic solvents. It has a boiling point of 268 C, and a melting point at 194 C. It can be prepared by the chlorination of Mo metal and also from the chlorination of MoO3. Molybdenum pentachloride is a strong oxidant, and can be reduced to form various compounds, such as being readily hydrolysed to yield HCl.

• Molecular Formula: MoCl₅
• Molecular Weight 273.21
• Soluble in water

Molybdenum chloride is widely used in chemical and biological sectors. It is reduced by MeCN to give MoCl4(MeCN)2, which in turn reacts with THF to give MoCl4(THF)2, a precursor to other molybdenum-containing complexes. It is reduced by HBr to form MoBr4. Molybdenum pentachloride reacts with THF to give the Mo (III) species mer-MoBr3(THF)3. It is a good Lewis acid towards various non-oxidizable ligands. It is applied in organic synthesis, for use in chlorinations, deoxygenation, and oxidative coupling reactions. Hexaalkoxytriphenylene compounds are obtained from o-dialkoxybenzenes by oxidative trimerization using MoCl5.