Sodium tungstate

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Sodium tungstate
Wolframan sodny.JPG
Names
IUPAC name
Sodium tungstate
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ECHA InfoCard 100.033.389 OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
PubChem CID
RTECS number
  • YO7875000
UNII
  • InChI=1S/2Na.4O.W/q2*+1;;;2*-1;
  • [O-][W](=O)(=O)[O-].[Na+].[Na+]
Properties
Na2WO4
Molar mass 293.82 g/mol (anhydrous)
329.85 g/mol (dihydrate)
AppearanceWhite rhombohedral crystals
Density 4.179 g/cm3 (anhydrous)
3.25 g/cm3 (dihydrate)
Melting point 698 °C (1,288 °F; 971 K)
57.5 g/100 mL (0 °C)
74.2 g/100 mL (25 °C)
96.9 g/100 mL (100 °C)
Solubility slightly soluble in ammonia
insoluble in alcohol, acid
Structure
Rhombic (anhydrous)
orthorhombic (dihydrate)
Hazards
Safety data sheet (SDS) External MSDS
Related compounds
Other cations
Lithium tungstate
Caesium tungstate
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Sodium tungstate is the inorganic compound with the formula Na2WO4. This white, water-soluble solid is the sodium salt of tungstic acid. It is useful as a source of tungsten for chemical synthesis. It is an intermediate in the conversion of tungsten ores to the metal. [1]

Preparation and structure

Sodium tungstate is obtained by digestion of tungsten ores, the economically important representatives of which are tungstates, in base. Illustrative is the extraction of sodium tungstate from wolframite: [1]

Fe/MnWO4 + 2 NaOH + 2 H2O → Na2WO4·2H2O + Fe/Mn(OH)2

Scheelite is treated similarly using sodium carbonate.

Sodium tungstate can also be produced by treating tungsten carbide with a mixture of sodium nitrate and sodium hydroxide in a fusion process which overcomes the high exothermicity of the reaction involved.

Several polymorphs of sodium tungstate are known, three at only one atmosphere pressure. They feature tetrahedral orthotungstate dianions but differ in the packing motif. The WO2−
4
anion adopts a structure like sulfate (SO2−
4
). [2]

Reactions

Treatment of sodium tungstate with hydrochloric acid gives the tungsten trioxide or its acidic hydrates:

Na2WO4 + 2 HCl → WO3 + 2 NaCl + H2O
Na2WO4 + 2 HCl → WO3·H2O + 2 NaCl

This reaction can be reversed using aqueous sodium hydroxide.

Uses

The dominant use of sodium tungstate is as an intermediate in the extraction of tungsten from its ores, almost all of which are tungstates. [1] Otherwise sodium tungstate has only niche applications.

In organic chemistry, sodium tungstate is used as catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes and oxidation of alcohols into aldehydes or ketones. It exhibits anti-diabetic effects. [3]

Solutions of sodium and lithium metatungstates are used in density separation. Such solutions are less toxic than bromoform and methylene iodide, but still have densities that fall between a number of naturally coupled minerals. [4]

Sodium tungstate is a competitive inhibitor of molybdenum; because tungsten is directly below molybdenum on the periodic table, it has similar electrochemical properties. Dietary tungsten reduces the concentration of molybdenum in tissues. [5] Some bacteria use molybdenum cofactor as part of their respiratory chain; in these microbes, tungstate can replace molybdenum and inhibit the generation of energy by aerobic respiration. As such, one niche use of sodium tungstate is in experimental biology—where it has been found that adding sodium tungstate to the drinking water of mice inhibits the growth of Enterobacteriaceae (a family of endogenous opportunistic pathogens) in the gut. [6]

Sodium tungstate has been researched as a potential treatment for infertility under the code OXO-001. [7] [8] [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acid–base reaction</span> Chemical reaction between an acid and a base

In chemistry, an acid–base reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs between an acid and a base. It can be used to determine pH via titration. Several theoretical frameworks provide alternative conceptions of the reaction mechanisms and their application in solving related problems; these are called the acid–base theories, for example, Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tungsten</span> Chemical element with atomic number 74 (W)

Tungsten is a chemical element; it has symbol W and atomic number 74. It is a rare metal found naturally on Earth almost exclusively as compounds with other elements. It was identified as a new element in 1781 and first isolated as a metal in 1783. Its important ores include scheelite and wolframite, the latter lending the element its alternative name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium hydroxide</span> Chemical compound with formula NaOH

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaOH. It is a white solid ionic compound consisting of sodium cations Na+ and hydroxide anions OH.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Base (chemistry)</span> Type of chemical substance

In chemistry, there are three definitions in common use of the word "base": Arrhenius bases, Brønsted bases, and Lewis bases. All definitions agree that bases are substances that react with acids, as originally proposed by G.-F. Rouelle in the mid-18th century.

In chemistry, an amphoteric compound is a molecule or ion that can react both as an acid and as a base. What exactly this can mean depends on which definitions of acids and bases are being used.

The Bayer process is the principal industrial means of refining bauxite to produce alumina (aluminium oxide) and was developed by Carl Josef Bayer. Bauxite, the most important ore of aluminium, contains only 30–60% aluminium oxide (Al2O3), the rest being a mixture of silica, various iron oxides, and titanium dioxide. The aluminium oxide must be further purified before it can be refined into aluminium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neutralization (chemistry)</span> Chemical reaction in which an acid and a base react quantitatively

In chemistry, neutralization or neutralisation is a chemical reaction in which acid and a base react with an equivalent quantity of each other. In a reaction in water, neutralization results in there being no excess of hydrogen or hydroxide ions present in the solution. The pH of the neutralized solution depends on the acid strength of the reactants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tungsten trioxide</span> Chemical compound

Tungsten(VI) oxide, also known as tungsten trioxide is a chemical compound of oxygen and the transition metal tungsten, with formula WO3. The compound is also called tungstic anhydride, reflecting its relation to tungstic acid H2WO4. It is a light yellow crystalline solid.

Molybdenum trioxide describes a family of inorganic compounds with the formula MoO3(H2O)n where n = 0, 1, 2. The anhydrous compound is produced on the largest scale of any molybdenum compound since it is the main intermediate produced when molybdenum ores are purified. The anhydrous oxide is a precursor to molybdenum metal, an important alloying agent. It is also an important industrial catalyst. It is a yellow solid, although impure samples can appear blue or green.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tungstic acid</span> Chemical compound

Tungstic acid refers to hydrated forms of tungsten trioxide, WO3. Both a monohydrate (WO3·H2O) and hemihydrate (WO3·1/2 H2O) are known. Molecular species akin to sulfuric acid, i.e. (HO)2WO2 are not observed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium dithiophosphate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium dithiophosphate is the salt with the formula Na3PS2O2. It is usually supplied as the hydrated solid or as an aqueous solution together with other thiophosphates such as sodium monothiophosphate and sodium trithiophosphate. It is a colorless compound, but commercial samples can appear dark owing to the presence of impurities. It is used to facilitate the isolation of molybdenum from its ores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium molybdate</span> Chemical compound

Sodium molybdate, Na2MoO4, is useful as a source of molybdenum. This white, crystalline salt is often encountered as the dihydrate, Na2MoO4·2H2O.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hexafluorosilicic acid</span> Octahedric silicon compound

Hexafluorosilicic acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H
2
SiF
6
. Aqueous solutions of hexafluorosilicic acid consist of salts of the cation and hexafluorosilicate anion. These salts and their aqueous solutions are colorless.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammonium paratungstate</span> Chemical compound

Ammonium paratungstate (or APT) is a white crystalline salt with the chemical formula (NH4)10(H2W12O42)·4H2O. It is described as "the most important raw material for all other tungsten products."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monosodium phosphate</span> Chemical compound

Monosodium phosphate (MSP), also known as monobasic sodium phosphate and sodium dihydrogen phosphate, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula NaH2PO4. It is a sodium salt of phosphoric acid. It consists of sodium cations (Na+) and dihydrogen phosphate anions (H2PO−4). One of many sodium phosphates, it is a common industrial chemical. The salt exists in an anhydrous form, as well as monohydrate and dihydrate (NaH2PO4·H2O and NaH2PO4·2H2O respectively).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chloroauric acid</span> Chemical compound

Chloroauric acid is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula H[AuCl4]. It forms hydrates H[AuCl4nH2O. 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sodium tungsten bronze</span> Chemical intercalation compound

Sodium tungsten bronze is a form of insertion compound with the formula NaxWO3, where x is equal to or less than 1. So named because of its metallic lustre, its electrical properties range from semiconducting to metallic depending on the concentration of sodium ions present; it can also exhibit superconductivity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molybdate</span> Chemical compound of the form –O–MoO₂–O–

In chemistry, a molybdate is a compound containing an oxyanion with molybdenum in its highest oxidation state of 6: O−Mo(=O)2−O. Molybdenum can form a very large range of such oxyanions, which can be discrete structures or polymeric extended structures, although the latter are only found in the solid state. The larger oxyanions are members of group of compounds termed polyoxometalates, and because they contain only one type of metal atom are often called isopolymetalates. The discrete molybdenum oxyanions range in size from the simplest MoO2−
4
, found in potassium molybdate up to extremely large structures found in isopoly-molybdenum blues that contain for example 154 Mo atoms. The behaviour of molybdenum is different from the other elements in group 6. Chromium only forms the chromates, CrO2−
4
, Cr
2
O2−
7
, Cr
3
O2−
10
and Cr
4
O2−
13
ions which are all based on tetrahedral chromium. Tungsten is similar to molybdenum and forms many tungstates containing 6 coordinate tungsten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nickel tungstate</span> Chemical compound

Nickel tungstate is an inorganic compound of nickel, tungsten and oxygen, with the chemical formula of NiWO4.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Lassner E, Schubert WD, Lüderitz E, Wolf HU (2005). "Tungsten, Tungsten Alloys, and Tungsten Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry . Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a27_229. ISBN   978-3527306732.
  2. Pistorius CW (June 1966). "Phase diagrams of sodium tungstate and sodium molybdate to 45 kbar". The Journal of Chemical Physics. 44 (12): 4532–4537. Bibcode:1966JChPh..44.4532P. doi:10.1063/1.1726669.
  3. Domínguez JE, Muñoz MC, Zafra D, Sanchez-Perez I, Baqué S, Caron M, et al. (October 2003). "The antidiabetic agent sodium tungstate activates glycogen synthesis through an insulin receptor-independent pathway". The Journal of Biological Chemistry. 278 (44): 42785–42794. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M308334200 . PMID   12925525.
  4. Skipp GL, Brownfield IK (1993). Improved density gradient separation techniques using sodium polytungstate and a comparison to the use of other heavy liquids (PDF) (Report). US Geological Survey.
  5. Considine GD, ed. (2005). "Molybdenum". Van Nostrand's Encyclopedia of Chemistry. New York: Wiley-Interscience. pp. 1038–1040. ISBN   978-0-471-61525-5.
  6. Zhu W, Winter MG, Byndloss MX, Spiga L, Duerkop BA, Hughes ER, et al. (January 2018). "Precision editing of the gut microbiota ameliorates colitis". Nature. 553 (7687): 208–211. Bibcode:2018Natur.553..208Z. doi:10.1038/nature25172. PMC   5804340 . PMID   29323293.
  7. Canals I, Cotán D, Torres R, Horcajadas JA, Arbat A (2021). "Sodium tungstate increases embryo adhesion through a direct effect on endometrial cells". Human Reproduction. 36 (Supplement_1): deab130.402. doi:10.1093/humrep/deab130.402.
  8. Arbat A, Gonzalez-Bulnes A, Pérez-Villalobos N, Canals I (2021). "Oral administration of sodium tungstate to a swine model improves embryo implantation rate". Human Reproduction. 36 (Supplement_1). doi:10.1093/humrep/deab130.355.
  9. Devlin H (7 July 2024). "Fertility drug could lead to 7% increase in live births after IVF, trials show". The Guardian.

Further reading