What is the product of the reaction between a metal chloride and O2?

When a metal chloride reacts with oxygen (O2), the primary reaction that occurs is the formation of a metal oxide. This is due to the oxidation of the metal in the presence of oxygen, which leads to the synthesis of the corresponding metal oxide compound.

In this reaction, the metal from the metal chloride combines with oxygen to form an oxide. For example, if you consider sodium chloride (NaCl) reacting with oxygen, the resulting product would be sodium oxide (Na2O) along with the release of chlorine gas.

This type of reaction highlights fundamental concepts in redox chemistry, where metals are oxidized and non-metals, like oxygen, serve as oxidizing agents. In contrast, metal carbonates, hydroxides, and the original metal chloride itself are not typical products of this reaction under standard conditions, as they involve different reactants and reaction mechanisms. Hence, the formation of a metal oxide is the expected outcome of reacting a metal chloride with oxygen.