Cobalt(II) acetate is the
cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with the symbol Co and atomic number 27. As with nickel, cobalt is found in the Earth's crust only in a chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. The free element, p ...
salt
Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...
of
acetic acid
Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main componen ...
. It is commonly found as the
tetrahydrate
In chemistry, a hydrate is a substance that contains water or its constituent elements. The chemical state of the water varies widely between different classes of hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was unders ...
Co(CH
3CO
2)
2·4 H
2O, abbreviated Co(OAc)
2·4 H
2O. It is used as a catalyst.
Synthesis and structure
Like many other
transition metal acetates, cobalt(II) acetate forms by the reaction of cobalt oxide or hydroxide and acetic acid:
: CoO + 2CH
3CO
2H + 3H
2O → Co(CH
3CO
2)
2·4 H
2O
The tetrahydrate has been shown by
X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...
to adopt an octahedral structure, the central cobalt centre being coordinated by four water molecules and two acetate
ligand
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule (functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's elect ...
s. The analogous
nickel acetate
Nickel(II) acetate is the name for the coordination compounds with the formula Ni(CH3CO2)2·x H2O where x can be 0, 2, and 4. The green tetrahydrate Ni(CH3CO2)2·4 H2O is most common. It is used for electroplating.
Synthesis and structure
The c ...
is isostructural.
Various hydrates are known including Co(CH
3CO
2)
2·H
2O and
o(CH3CO2)2sub>5·0.5 H
2O.
Reactions and uses
Cobalt acetate is a precursor to various
oil drying agents, catalysts that allow paints and varnishes to harden.
Anhydrous cobalt acetate is a widely used source of cobalt in the synthesis of materials, catalyst, and complexes.
Safety
Cobalt salts are poisonous.
MallBaker MSDS
/ref>
References
Acetates
Cobalt(II) compounds
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