Indium(III) nitrate is a

nitrate Nitrate is a polyatomic ion with the chemical formula . salt (chemistry), Salts containing this ion are called nitrates. Nitrates are common components of fertilizers and explosives. Almost all inorganic nitrates are solubility, soluble in wa ...

salt of

indium Indium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol In and atomic number 49. It is a silvery-white post-transition metal and one of the softest elements. Chemically, indium is similar to gallium and thallium, and its properties are la ...

which forms various hydrates. Only the pentahydrate has been crystallographically verified. Other hydrates are also reported in literature, such as the trihydrate.

Production and reactions

Indium(III) nitrate hydrate is produced by the dissolution of indium metal in concentrated

nitric acid Nitric acid is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but samples tend to acquire a yellow cast over time due to decomposition into nitrogen oxide, oxides of nitrogen. Most com ...

followed by evaporation of the solution: : The hydrate first decomposes to a basic salt and then to

indium(III) oxide Indium(III) oxide ( In2 O3) is a chemical compound, an amphoteric oxide of indium. Physical properties Crystal structure Amorphous indium oxide is insoluble in water but soluble in acids, whereas crystalline indium oxide is insoluble in both wa ...

at 240 °C. Anhydrous indium(III) nitrate is claimed to be produced by the reaction of anhydrous

indium(III) chloride Indium(III) chloride is the chemical compound with the formula which forms a tetrahydrate. This salt is a white, flaky solid with applications in organic synthesis as a Lewis acid. It is also the most available soluble derivative of indium. This ...

and

dinitrogen pentoxide Dinitrogen pentoxide (also known as nitrogen pentoxide or nitric anhydride) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is one of the binary nitrogen oxides, a family of compounds that contain only nitrogen and oxygen. It exists as colourless c ...

. In the presence of excess nitrate ions, indium(III) nitrate converts to the n(NO₃)₄sup>− ion. The hydrolysis of indium(III) nitrate yields

indium(III) hydroxide Indium(III) hydroxide is the chemical compound with the formula . Its prime use is as a precursor to indium(III) oxide, . It is sometimes found as the rare mineral dzhalindite. __TOC__ Structure Indium(III) hydroxide has a cubic structure, space ...

. It also reacts with

sodium tungstate 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 tung ...

to form In(OH)WO₄, n(OH)₂sub>2WO₄, NaInWO₄ or In₂(WO₄)₃ depending on pH.

Structure

Only the pentahydrate has been structurally elucidated. The pentahydrate consists of octahedral n(NO₃)(H₂O)₅sup>2+ centers as well as two nitrates and is monoclinic.

References

{{Indium compounds Indium compounds Nitrates