Characteristic

Platinum(II) chloride is the chemical compound PtCl₂. It is an important precursor used in the preparation of other platinum compounds. It exists in two crystalline forms, but the main properties are somewhat similar: dark brown, insoluble in water, diamagnetic, and odorless.

Chemical formula：PtCl₂

Molar mass： 265.99 g/mol

Appearance： olive green crystals

Density： 6.05 g/cm³, solid

Melting point： 581 °C (1,078 °F; 854 K)

Boiling point： decomposes

Solubility in water：insoluble

Solubility： insoluble in alcohol, ether

soluble in HCl, ammonia

Magnetic susceptibility (χ)：−54.0·10⁻⁶ cm³/mol

Crystal structure：hexagonal

Application

Most reactions of PtCl₂ proceed via treatment with ligands (L) to give molecular derivatives. 

Sometimes, such reactions can be deceptive. Addition of ammonia gives initially "PtCl₂(NH₃)₂", but this material is in fact Magnus's green salt, [PtCl₄][Pt(NH₃)₄].