Zinc acetate is a
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 ...
with the
formula Zn(CH
3CO
2)
2, which commonly occurs as the
dihydrate
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 understo ...
Zn(CH
3CO
2)
2ยท2H
2O. Both the hydrate and the
anhydrous forms are colorless solids that are used as dietary supplements. When used as a
food additive, it has the
E number E650.
Uses
Zinc acetate is a component of some medicines, e.g.,
lozenges for treating the common cold. Zinc acetate can also be used as a dietary supplement. As an oral daily supplement it is used to inhibit the body's absorption of copper as part of the treatment for
Wilson's disease
Wilson's disease is a genetic disorder in which excess copper builds up in the body. Symptoms are typically related to the brain and liver. Liver-related symptoms include vomiting, weakness, fluid build up in the abdomen, swelling of the legs, ...
. Zinc acetate is also sold as an astringent in the form of an ointment, a topical lotion, or combined with an antibiotic such as
erythromycin for the topical treatment of acne. It is commonly sold as a topical anti-itch ointment.
Zinc acetate is used as the catalyst for the industrial production of
vinyl acetate
Vinyl acetate is an organic compound with the formula CH3CO2CH=CH2. This colorless liquid is the precursor to polyvinyl acetate and ethene-vinyl acetate copolymers, important industrial polymers.
Production
The worldwide production capacity of v ...
from
acetylene:
Approximately 1/3 of the worlds production uses this route, which because it is environmentally messy, is mainly practiced in countries with relaxed environmental regulations such as China.
Preparation
Zinc acetates are prepared by the action of
acetic acid on
zinc carbonate
Zinc carbonate is the inorganic compound with the formula ZnCO3. It is a white solid that is insoluble in water. It exists in nature as the mineral smithsonite. It is prepared by treating cold solutions of zinc sulfate with potassium bicarbonat ...
or
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
metal. Treatment of
zinc nitrate
Zinc nitrate is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula . This colorless, crystalline salt is highly deliquescent. It is typically encountered as a hexahydrate . It is soluble in both water and alcohol.
Synthesis
Zinc nitrate is usually pr ...
with
acetic anhydride is an alternative route.
Structures
In anhydrous zinc acetate the zinc is coordinated to four oxygen atoms to give a tetrahedral environment, these tetrahedral polyhedra are then interconnected by acetate ligands to give a range of polymeric structures.
In the dihydrate, zinc is octahedral, wherein both acetate groups are bidentate.
Reactions
Heating Zn(CH
3CO
2)
2 in a vacuum results in a loss of
acetic anhydride, leaving a residue of "basic zinc acetate," with the formula Zn
4O(CH
3CO
2)
6. It can also be prepared by a reaction of glacial acetic acid with
zinc oxide
Zinc oxide is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a white powder that is insoluble in water. ZnO is used as an additive in numerous materials and products including cosmetics, food supplements, rubbers, plastics, ceramics, glass, cement ...
. The
cluster compound
In chemistry, an atom cluster (or simply cluster) is an ensemble of bound atoms or molecules that is intermediate in size between a simple molecule and a nanoparticle; that is, up to a few nanometers (nm) in diameter. The term ''microcluster' ...
has a
tetrahedral
In geometry, a tetrahedron (plural: tetrahedra or tetrahedrons), also known as a triangular pyramid, is a polyhedron composed of four triangular faces, six straight edges, and four vertex corners. The tetrahedron is the simplest of all the ...
structure with an oxide ligand at its center
Basic zinc acetate is a common precursor to
metal-organic frameworks (MOFs).
See also
*
Basic beryllium acetate
Basic beryllium acetate is the chemical compound with the formula Be4O(O2CCH3)6. This compound adopts a distinctive structure, but it has no applications and has been only lightly studied. It is a colourless solid that is soluble in organic solve ...
- isostructural with basic zinc acetate
References
{{Acetates
acetate
zinc
Zinc is a chemical element with the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. Zinc is a slightly brittle metal at room temperature and has a shiny-greyish appearance when oxidation is removed. It is the first element in group 12 (IIB) of the periodi ...
E-number additives