The Kurnakov test, also known as Kurnakov's reaction, is a chemical test that distinguishes pairs of cis- and trans-isomers of [PtA2X2] (A = NH3, X = halogen or pseudohalide). Upon treatment with thiourea, the trans-dihalides give less soluble white products, whereas the cis-dihalides give more soluble yellow products. The test is still used to assay samples of the drug cisplatin, but it is mainly of pedagogical interest, as it illustrates the trans effect.
The test was devised by Soviet chemist Nikolai Kurnakov. [1] [2] [3]
The Kurnakov test is sometimes used to detect transplatin in samples of the drug cisplatin. In hot aqueous solution, the cis-compound reacts with aqueous thiourea (tu) to give a deeper yellow solution, from which yellow needles of [Pt(tu)4]Cl2 chloride deposit on cooling. The trans-compound gives a colourless solution, from which snow-white needles of trans-[Pt(tu)2(NH3)2]Cl2 deposit on cooling. [4] [5] [6]
A coordination complex is a chemical compound consisting of a central atom or ion, which is usually metallic and is called the coordination centre, and a surrounding array of bound molecules or ions, that are in turn known as ligands or complexing agents. Many metal-containing compounds, especially those that include transition metals, are coordination complexes.
Cisplatin is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of cancers. These include testicular cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, brain tumors and neuroblastoma. It is given by injection into a vein.
Thiourea is an organosulfur compound with the formula SC(NH2)2 and the structure H2N−C(=S)−NH2. It is structurally similar to urea, except that the oxygen atom is replaced by a sulfur atom ; however, the properties of urea and thiourea differ significantly.
Rhodium(III) chloride refers to inorganic compounds with the formula RhCl3(H2O)n, where n varies from 0 to 3. These are diamagnetic solids featuring octahedral Rh(III) centres. Depending on the value of n, the material is either a dense brown solid or a soluble reddish salt. The soluble trihydrated (n = 3) salt is widely used to prepare compounds used in homogeneous catalysis, notably for the industrial production of acetic acid and hydroformylation.
Phosphorous acid (or phosphonic acid) is the compound described by the formula H3PO3. This acid is diprotic (readily ionizes two protons), not triprotic as might be suggested by this formula. Phosphorous acid is an intermediate in the preparation of other phosphorus compounds. Organic derivatives of phosphorous acid, compounds with the formula RPO3H2, are called phosphonic acids.
In coordination chemistry, metal ammine complexes are metal complexes containing at least one ammonia ligand. "Ammine" is spelled this way due to historical reasons; in contrast, alkyl or aryl bearing ligands are spelt with a single "m". Almost all metal ions bind ammonia as a ligand, but the most prevalent examples of ammine complexes are for Cr(III), Co(III), Ni(II), Cu(II) as well as several platinum group metals.
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.
Tungsten dichloride dioxide, or Tungstyl chloride is the chemical compound with the formula WO2Cl2. It is a yellow-colored solid. It is used as a precursor to other tungsten compounds. Like other tungsten halides, WO2Cl2 is sensitive to moisture, undergoing hydrolysis.
Ammonium hexachloroplatinate, also known as ammonium chloroplatinate, is the inorganic compound with the formula (NH4)2[PtCl6]. It is a rare example of a soluble platinum(IV) salt that is not hygroscopic. It forms intensely yellow solutions in water. In the presence of 1M NH4Cl, its solubility is only 0.0028 g/100 mL.
Magnus's green salt is the inorganic compound with the formula [Pt(NH3)4][PtCl4]. This salt is named after Heinrich Gustav Magnus, who, in the early 1830s, first reported the compound. The compound is a linear chain compound, consisting of a chain of platinum atoms. It is dark green, which is unusual for platinum compounds.
There are three sets of gallium halides, the trihalides where gallium has oxidation state +3, the intermediate halides containing gallium in oxidation states +1, +2 and +3 and some unstable monohalides, where gallium has oxidation state +1.
Potassium tetrachloroplatinate(II) is the chemical compound with the formula K2PtCl4. This reddish orange salt is an important reagent for the preparation of other coordination complexes of platinum. It consists of potassium cations and the square planar dianion PtCl42−. Related salts are also known including Na2PtCl4, which is brown-colored and soluble in alcohols, and quaternary ammonium salts, which are soluble in a broader range of organic solvents.
Chloroauric acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H[AuCl4]. It forms hydrates H[AuCl4]·nH2O. Both the trihydrate and tetrahydrate are known. Both are orange-yellow solids consisting of the planar [AuCl4]− anion. Often chloroauric acid is handled as a solution, such as those obtained by dissolution of gold in aqua regia. These solutions can be converted to other gold complexes or reduced to metallic gold or gold nanoparticles.
Tin(IV) bromide is the chemical compound SnBr4. It is a colourless low melting solid.
Nikolai Semyonovich Kurnakov was a Russian chemist, who is internationally recognized as the originator of physicochemical analysis. He also was one of the principal founders of the platinum industry in the Soviet Union. A chemical reaction that he pioneered, known as the Kurnakov test, is still used to differentiate cis from trans isomers of divalent platinum and is his best-known contribution to coordination chemistry.
Metal amides (systematic name metal azanides) are a class of coordination compounds composed of a metal center with amide ligands of the form NR2−. Amide ligands have two electron pairs available for bonding. In principle, they can be terminal or bridging. In these two examples, the dimethylamido ligands are both bridging and terminal:
Metal halides are compounds between metals and halogens. Some, such as sodium chloride are ionic, while others are covalently bonded. A few metal halides are discrete molecules, such as uranium hexafluoride, but most adopt polymeric structures, such as palladium chloride.
Iridium acetylacetonate is the iridium coordination complex with the formula Ir(O2C5H7)3, which is sometimes known as Ir(acac)3. The molecule has D3-symmetry. It is a yellow-orange solid that is soluble in organic solvents.
trans-Dichlorodiammineplatinum(II) is the trans isomer of the coordination complex with the formula trans-PtCl2(NH3)2, sometimes called transplatin. It is a yellow solid with low solubility in water but good solubility in DMF. The existence of two isomers of PtCl2(NH3)2 led Alfred Werner to propose square planar molecular geometry. It belongs to the molecular symmetry point group D2h.
Neodymium nitride or neodymium(III) nitride is a chemical compound of neodymium and nitrogen with the formula NdN in which neodymium exhibits the +3 oxidation state and nitrogen exhibits the -3 oxidation state. It is ferromagnetic, like gadolinium(III) nitride, terbium(III) nitride and dysprosium(III) nitride. Neodymium nitride is not usually stoichiometric, and it is very hard to create pure stoichiometric neodymium nitride.