Beryllium nitrate is an inorganic compound with the idealized chemical formula Be(NO3)2. The formula suggests a salt, but, as for many beryllium compounds, the compound is highly covalent. Little of its chemistry is well known. "When added to water, brown fumes are evolved; when hydrolyzed in sodium hydroxide solution, both nitrate and nitrite ions are produced."[2]

Structure of basic berylliium nitrate.[3] Color scheme: red = O, blue = N, turquoise = Be.

Synthesis and reactions

The straw-colored adduct Be(NO3)2(N2O4) forms upon treatment of beryllium chloride with dinitrogen tetroxide:

BeCl2 + 3 N2O4 → Be(NO3)2(N2O4) + 2 NOCl

Upon heating, this adduct loses N2O4 and produces colorless Be(NO3)2. Further heating of Be(NO3)2 induces conversion to basic beryllium nitrate, which adopts a structure akin to that for basic beryllium acetate.[4]

Unlike the basic acetate, with its six lipophilic methyl groups, the basic nitrate is insoluble in most solvents.

References

  1. ^ a b c NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards. "#0054". National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
  2. ^ Addison, C.C.; Logan, N. (1964). Anhydrous Metal Nitrates. Advances in Inorganic Chemistry and Radiochemistry. Vol. 6. pp. 71–142. doi:10.1016/S0065-2792(08)60225-3. ISBN 9780120236060.
  3. ^ Haley, M. J.; Wallwork, S. C.; Duffin, B.; Logan, N.; Addison, C. C. (1997). "Hexa-μ-nitrato-μ4-oxo-tetraberyllium". Acta Crystallographica Section C Crystal Structure Communications. 53 (7): 829–830. doi:10.1107/S010827019700303X.
  4. ^ Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 122. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.