Iron(III) nitrate

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Iron(III) nitrate
(Fe(aq)6)(NO3)3.svg
Chemical structure of ferric nitrate aquo complex
Ferric nitrate nonahydrate.jpg
Sample of ferric nitrate nonahydrate
Names
IUPAC name
Iron(III) nitrate
Other names
Ferric nitrate
Nitric acid, iron(3+) salt
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
ECHA InfoCard 100.030.805 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • NO7175000
UNII
  • InChI=1S/Fe.3NO3.9H2O/c;3*2-1(3)4;;;;;;;;;/h;;;;9*1H2/q+3;3*-1;;;;;;;;; Yes check.svgY
    Key: SZQUEWJRBJDHSM-UHFFFAOYSA-N Yes check.svgY
  • InChI=1/Fe.3NO3.9H2O/c;3*2-1(3)4;;;;;;;;;/h;;;;9*1H2/q+3;3*-1;;;;;;;;;
    Key: SZQUEWJRBJDHSM-UHFFFAOYAC
  • [Fe+3].O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O.O=[N+]([O-])[O-].[O-][N+]([O-])=O.[O-][N+]([O-])=O
Properties
Fe(NO3)3
Molar mass 403.999 g/mol (nonahydrate)
241.86 g/mol (anhydrous)
AppearancePale violet crystals
hygroscopic
Density 1.68 g/cm3 (hexahydrate)
1.6429 g/cm3(nonahydrate)
Melting point 47.2 °C (117.0 °F; 320.3 K) (nonahydrate)
Boiling point 125 °C (257 °F; 398 K) (nonahydrate)
150 g/100 mL (hexahydrate)
Solubility soluble in alcohol, acetone
+15,200.0·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
octahedral
Hazards [1]
GHS labelling:
GHS-pictogram-rondflam.svg GHS-pictogram-exclam.svg [2]
Warning
H272, H302, H319
P210, P220, P221, P264, P270, P280, P301+P312, P305+P351+P338, P330, P337+P313, P370+P378, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704.svgHealth 1: Exposure would cause irritation but only minor residual injury. E.g. turpentineFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 0: Normally stable, even under fire exposure conditions, and is not reactive with water. E.g. liquid nitrogenSpecial hazard OX: Oxidizer. E.g. potassium perchlorate
1
0
0
OX
Flash point non-flammable
NIOSH (US health exposure limits):
REL (Recommended)
TWA 1 mg/m3 [3]
Safety data sheet (SDS) External SDS
Related compounds
Other anions
Iron(III) chloride
Iron(III) sulfate
Related compounds
Iron(II) nitrate
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
X mark.svgN  verify  (what is  Yes check.svgYX mark.svgN ?)

Iron(III) nitrate, or ferric nitrate, is the name used for a series of inorganic compounds with the formula Fe(NO3)3.(H2O)n. Most common is the nonahydrate Fe(NO3)3.(H2O)9. The hydrates are all pale colored, water-soluble paramagnetic salts.

Contents

Hydrates

Iron(III) nitrate is deliquescent, and it is commonly found as the nonahydrate Fe(NO3)3·9H2O, which forms colourless to pale violet crystals. This compound is the trinitrate salt of the aquo complex [Fe(H2O)6]3+. [4] Other hydrates Fe(NO
3
)
3
·xH
2
O
, include:

Reactions

Iron(III) nitrate is a useful precursor to other iron compounds because the nitrate is easily removed or decomposed. It is for example, a standard precursor to potassium ferrate K2FeO4. [6]

When dissolved, iron(III) nitrate forms yellow solutions. When this solution is heated to near boiling, nitric acid evaporates and a solid precipitate of iron(III) oxide Fe
2
O
3
appears. [7] Another method for producing iron oxides from this nitrate salt involves neutralizing its aqueous solutions. [8]

Preparation

The compound can be prepared by treating iron metal powder with nitric acid, as summarized by the following idealized equation: [9]

Fe + 4 HNO3 + 7 H2O → Fe(NO3)3(H2O)9 + NO

Applications

Ferric nitrate has no large scale applications. It is a catalyst for the synthesis of sodium amide from a solution of sodium in ammonia: [10]

2 NH3 + 2Na → 2 NaNH2 + H2

Certain clays impregnated with ferric nitrate have been shown to be useful oxidants in organic synthesis. For example, ferric nitrate on Montmorillonite—a reagent called Clayfen—has been employed for the oxidation of alcohols to aldehydes and thiols to disulfides. [11]

Ferric nitrate solutions are used by jewelers and metalsmiths to etch silver and silver alloys.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrous</span> The element iron in its +2 oxidation state

In chemistry, iron(II) refers to the element iron in its +2 oxidation state. The adjective ferrous or the prefix ferro- is often used to specify such compounds, as in ferrous chloride for iron(II) chloride (FeCl2). The adjective ferric is used instead for iron(III) salts, containing the cation Fe3+. The word ferrous is derived from the Latin word ferrum, meaning "iron".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron(III) oxide</span> Chemical compound

Iron(III) oxide or ferric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula Fe2O3. It is one of the three main oxides of iron, the other two being iron(II) oxide (FeO), which is rare; and iron(II,III) oxide (Fe3O4), which also occurs naturally as the mineral magnetite. As the mineral known as hematite, Fe2O3 is the main source of iron for the steel industry. Fe2O3 is readily attacked by acids. Iron(III) oxide is often called rust, since rust shares several properties and has a similar composition; however, in chemistry, rust is considered an ill-defined material, described as hydrous ferric oxide.

Iron(III) chloride describes the inorganic compounds with the formula FeCl3(H2O)x. Also called ferric chloride, these compounds are some of the most important and commonplace compounds of iron. They are available both in anhydrous and in hydrated forms which are both hygroscopic. They feature iron in its +3 oxidation state. The anhydrous derivative is a Lewis acid, while all forms are mild oxidizing agents. It is used as a water cleaner and as an etchant for metals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Copper(II) nitrate</span> Chemical compound

Copper(II) nitrate describes any member of the family of inorganic compounds with the formula Cu(NO3)2(H2O)x. The hydrates are blue solids. Anhydrous copper nitrate forms blue-green crystals and sublimes in a vacuum at 150-200 °C. Common hydrates are the hemipentahydrate and trihydrate.

In chemistry, water(s) of crystallization or water(s) of hydration are water molecules that are present inside crystals. Water is often incorporated in the formation of crystals from aqueous solutions. In some contexts, water of crystallization is the total mass of water in a substance at a given temperature and is mostly present in a definite (stoichiometric) ratio. Classically, "water of crystallization" refers to water that is found in the crystalline framework of a metal complex or a salt, which is not directly bonded to the metal cation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Potassium ferrate</span> Chemical compound

Potassium ferrate is the chemical compound with the formula K2FeO4. This purple salt is paramagnetic, and is a rare example of an iron(VI) compound. In most of its compounds, iron has the oxidation state +2 or +3 (Fe2+ or Fe3+). Reflecting its high oxidation state, FeO2−4 is a powerful oxidizing agent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferrate(VI)</span> Ion

Ferrate(VI) is the inorganic anion with the chemical formula [FeO4]2−. It is photosensitive, contributes a pale violet colour to compounds and solutions containing it and is one of the strongest water-stable oxidizing species known. Although it is classified as a weak base, concentrated solutions containing ferrate(VI) are corrosive and attack the skin and are only stable at high pH. It is similar to the somewhat more stable permanganate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron(III) fluoride</span> Chemical compound

Iron(III) fluoride, also known as ferric fluoride, are inorganic compounds with the formula FeF3(H2O)x where x = 0 or 3. They are mainly of interest by researchers, unlike the related iron(III) chloride. Anhydrous iron(III) fluoride is white, whereas the hydrated forms are light pink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cadmium nitrate</span> Chemical compound

Cadmium nitrate describes any of the related members of a family of inorganic compounds with the general formula Cd(NO3)2·xH2O. The most commonly encountered form being the tetrahydrate.The anhydrous form is volatile, but the others are colourless crystalline solids that are deliquescent, tending to absorb enough moisture from the air to form an aqueous solution. Like other cadmium compounds, cadmium nitrate is known to be carcinogenic. According to X-ray crystallography, the tetrahydrate features octahedral Cd2+ centers bound to six oxygen ligands.

Iron shows the characteristic chemical properties of the transition metals, namely the ability to form variable oxidation states differing by steps of one and a very large coordination and organometallic chemistry: indeed, it was the discovery of an iron compound, ferrocene, that revolutionalized the latter field in the 1950s. Iron is sometimes considered as a prototype for the entire block of transition metals, due to its abundance and the immense role it has played in the technological progress of humanity. Its 26 electrons are arranged in the configuration [Ar]3d64s2, of which the 3d and 4s electrons are relatively close in energy, and thus it can lose a variable number of electrons and there is no clear point where further ionization becomes unprofitable.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cobalt(II) nitrate</span> Chemical compound

Cobalt nitrate is the inorganic compound with the formula Co(NO3)2.xH2O. It is cobalt(II)'s salt. The most common form is the hexahydrate Co(NO3)2·6H2O, which is a red-brown deliquescent salt that is soluble in water and other polar solvents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron(III) sulfate</span> Chemical compound

Iron(III) sulfate (or ferric sulfate), is a family of inorganic compounds with the formula Fe2(SO4)3(H2O)n. A variety of hydrates are known, including the most commonly encountered form of "ferric sulfate". Solutions are used in dyeing as a mordant, and as a coagulant for industrial wastes. Solutions of ferric sulfate are also used in the processing of aluminum and steel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barium ferrate</span> Chemical compound

Barium ferrate is the chemical compound of formula BaFeO4. This is a rare compound containing iron in the +6 oxidation state. The ferrate(VI) ion has two unpaired electrons, making it paramagnetic. It is isostructural with BaSO4, and contains the tetrahedral [FeO4]2− anion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferric oxalate</span> Chemical compound

Ferric oxalate, also known as iron(III) oxalate, refers to inorganic compounds with the formula Fe2(C2O4)3(H2O)x but could also refer to salts of [Fe(C2O4)3]3-. Fe2(C2O4)3(H2O)x are coordination polymers with varying degrees of hydration. The coordination complex with the formula [Fe(C2O4)3]3- forms a variety of salts, a well-known example being potassium ferrioxalate. This article emphasizes the coordination polymers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bismuth oxynitrate</span> Chemical compound

Bismuth oxynitrate is the name applied to a number of compounds that contain Bi3+, nitrate ions and oxide ions and which can be considered as compounds formed from Bi2O3, N2O5 and H2O. Other names for bismuth oxynitrate include bismuth subnitrate and bismuthyl nitrate. In older texts bismuth oxynitrate is often simply described as BiONO3 or basic bismuth nitrate. Bismuth oxynitrate was once called magisterium bismuti or bismutum subnitricum, and was used as a white pigment, in beauty care, and as a gentle disinfectant for internal and external use. It is also used to form Dragendorff's reagent, which is used as a TLC stain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thorium(IV) nitrate</span> Chemical compound

Thorium(IV) nitrate is a chemical compound, a salt of thorium and nitric acid with the formula Th(NO3)4. A white solid in its anhydrous form, it can form tetra- and pentahydrates. As a salt of thorium it is weakly radioactive.

Indium(III) nitrate is a nitrate salt of indium which forms various hydrates. Only the pentahydrate has been crystallographically verified. Other hydrates are also reported in literature, such as the trihydrate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iron(II) nitrate</span> Chemical compound

Iron(II) nitrate is the nitrate salt of iron(II). It is commonly encountered as the green hexahydrate, Fe(NO3)2·6H2O, which is a metal aquo complex, however it is not commercially available unlike iron(III) nitrate due to its instability to air. The salt is soluble in water serves as a ready source of ferrous ions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transition metal nitrate complex</span> Compound of nitrate ligands

A transition metal nitrate complex is a coordination compound containing one or more nitrate ligands. Such complexes are common starting reagents for the preparation of other compounds.

Cobalt compounds are chemical compounds formed by cobalt with other elements.

References

  1. HSNO Chemical Classification Information Database, New Zealand Environmental Risk Management Authority, retrieved 2010-09-19.
  2. "Iron(III) Nitrate Nonahydrate". American Elements . Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  3. NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0346". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
  4. Hair, Neil J.; Beattie, James K. (1977). "Structure of Hexaaquairon(III) Nitrate Trihydrate. Comparison of Iron(II) and Iron(III) Bond Lengths in High-Spin Octahedral Environments". Inorganic Chemistry. 16 (2): 245–250. doi:10.1021/ic50168a006.
  5. 1 2 3 H. Schmidt, A. Asztalos, F. Bok and W. Voigt (2012): "New Iron(III) Nitrate Hydrates: Fe(NO3|3·xH2O with x = 4, 5 and 6". Acta Crystallographica Section C - Inorganic Compounds, volume C68, pages i29-i33. doi : 10.1107/S0108270112015855
  6. H. Lux (1963). "Potassium Ferrate (VI) K2FeO4". In G. Brauer (ed.). Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Vol. 2. NY, NY: Academic Press. p. 1504.
  7. Egon Matijević and Paul Scheiner (1978): "Ferric Hydrous Oxide Sols: III. Preparation of Uniform Particles by Hydrolysis of Fe(III)-Chloride, -Nitrate, and -Perchlorate solutions". Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, volume 63, issue 3, pages 509-524. doi : 10.1016/S0021-9797(78)80011-3
  8. H. Lux (1963). "Iron (III) Hydroxide FeO(OH)". In G. Brauer (ed.). Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry, 2nd Ed. Vol. 2. NY, NY: Academic Press. p. 1499.
  9. Wildermuth, Egon; Stark, Hans; Friedrich, Gabriele; Ebenhöch, Franz Ludwig; Kühborth, Brigitte; Silver, Jack; Rituper, Rafael. "Iron Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry . Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. ISBN   978-3527306732.
  10. Hampton, K. G.; Harris, T. M.; Hauser, C. R. (1973). "2,4-Nonanedione". Organic Syntheses ; Collected Volumes, vol. 5, p. 848. As of 2007, 22 other entries describe similar preparations in Organic Syntheses
  11. Cornélis, A. Laszlo, P.; Zettler, M. W. "Iron(III) Nitrate–K10 Montmorillonite Clay" in Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis (Ed: L. Paquette) 2004, J. Wiley & Sons, New York. doi : 10.1002/047084289X.