This MedLibrary.org supplementary page on Copper(II) nitrate is provided directly from the open source Wikipedia as a service to our readers. Please see the note below on authorship of this content, as well as the Wikipedia usage guidelines. To search for other content from our encyclopedia supplement, please use the form below:
Related Sponsors
| Copper(II) nitrate | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| IUPAC name | Copper(II) nitrate |
| Other names | Cupric nitrate |
| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | [3251-23-8] |
| RTECS number | GL7875000 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | Cu(NO3)2 |
| Molar mass | 187.57 g/mol, 241.60 (Cu(NO3)2.3H2O), 232.59 (Cu(NO3)2.2.5H2O |
| Appearance | blue crystals |
| Density | 2.32 g/cm3 (anhydrous) |
| Melting point |
114.5 °C (trihydrate) |
| Boiling point |
170 °C (decomposition) |
| Solubility in water | 138 g/100 mL (0 °C) trihydrate |
| Hazards | |
| MSDS | Cu(NO3)2.3H2O |
| Main hazards | Toxic, irritant |
| NFPA 704 |
 0
2
0
|
| R-phrases | R22 R36/37/38 R48/20/21/22 R66 |
| Related compounds | |
| Related compounds | CuSO4, copper(II) sulfate |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Infobox disclaimer and references |
|
Copper(II) nitrate is the chemical compound with the formula Cu(NO3)2. Commonly referred to simply as copper nitrate, the anhydrous form is a blue, crystalline solid. Hydrated forms of copper nitrate, also blue, are commonly used in school laboratories to demonstrate chemical voltaic cell reactions. The hydrated and anhydrous species have remarkably different properties, illustrating the effect of water of crystallization.
The Roman numeral sign is to specify that the copper has an oxidation state of +2.
Contents |
Properties
Hydrated and anhydrous copper nitrates behave differently.
Anhydrous form
The bright blue anhydrous material, Cu(NO3)2, is a volatile solid, subliming in a vacuum. In the gas-phase, Cu(NO3)2 is square planar, each Cu center being surrounded by four oxygen atoms. Upon condensation, this monomer polymerizes.[1]
  |
|
|
Hydrated copper nitrate
Crystalline Cu(NO3)2(H2O)2.5 features octahedral Cu centers surrounded by water and the nitrate anions.[1]
This hydrate decomposes at ca. 170 °C into copper(II) oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen:
Copper nitrate can be used to generate nitric acid by heating it until decomposition and passing the fumes directly into water. This method is similar to the last step in the Ostwald process. The equations are as follows:
- 2Cu(NO3)2 → 2CuO + 4NO2 + O2
- 3NO2 + H2O → 2HNO3 + NO
Copper nitrate soaked splints of wood burn with an emerald green flame. Addition of magnesium nitrate gives a lime green color.
Synthesis
Cu(NO3)2 forms when copper metal is treated with N2O4:[3]
- Cu + 2N2O4 → Cu(NO3)2 + 2NO
It can also be formed by reacting copper metal with an aqueous solution of silver nitrate.
Use in organic synthesis
Copper nitrate, in combination with acetic anhydride, is an effective reagent for nitration of aromatic compounds, under what are known as "Menke conditions", in honor of the Dutch chemist who discovered that metal nitrates are effective reagents for nitration.[4] Hydrated copper nitrate absorbed onto clay affords a reagent called "claycop". The resulting blue clay is used as a slurry, for example for the oxidation of thiols to disulfides. Claycop is also used to convert dithioacetals to carbonyls.[5] A related reagent based on Montmorillonite has proven useful for the nitration of aromatic compounds.[6]
References
- ^ a b Wells, A.F. Structural Inorganic Chemistry, Oxford: Clarendon Press (1984). ISBN 0-19-855370-6.
- ^ Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd Edition, Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4.
- ^ Jolly, W. L. "The Synthesis and Characterization of Inorganic Compounds" Prentice Hall, London, 1970
- ^ Menke J.B. (1925). "Nitration with nitrates". Recueil des Travaux Chimiques des Payes-Bas 44: 141.
- ^ Balogh, M. "Copper(II) Nitrate–K10 Bentonite Clay" in Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (Ed: L. Paquette) 2004, J. Wiley & Sons, New York. DOI: 10.1002/047084289.
- ^ Collet, C.; Delville, A.; Laszlo, P. “Clays Direct Aromatic Nitration” Angewandte Chemie International Edition in English, 2003, Volume 29, Issue 5 , Pages 535 - 536. DOI 10.1002/anie.199005351.
External links
Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 13 June 2008, at 23:07.
Wikipedia Authorship and Review
Wikipedia content provided here is not reviewed directly by MedLibrary.org. Wikipedia content is authored by an open community of volunteers and is not produced by or in any way affiliated with MedLibrary.org.
Wikipedia Usage Guidelines
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article on "Copper(II) nitrate".
The URL for this specific entry is:
All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details). Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.