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| Rubidium hydroxide | |
|---|---|
| Systematic name | Rubidium hydroxide |
| Synonym | Rubidium(I) hydroxide |
| General | |
| Empirical formula | RbOH |
| Ionic formula | Rb+(OH)- |
| Molar mass | 102.48 g/mol |
| Appearance | white solid, hygroscopic |
| CAS number | * |
| Properties | |
| Density and phase | 3.203 g/cm3, solid |
| Solubility in water | 180 g/100 ml (15 °C) |
| Melting point | 301 °C |
| Boiling point | ? °C (? K) |
| Thermodynamic data | |
| Standard enthalpy of | formation]] ΔfH°solid
−413.8 kJ/mol |
| Standard molar entropy S°solid | ? J.K−1.mol−1 |
| Hazards | |
| Hazard symbol | C: corrosive |
| Risk description | R22, R34 |
| Safety description | S26, S27, S37, S39, S45 |
| Related compounds | |
| Other anions | |
| Other cations | Lithium hydroxide Sodium hydroxide Potassium hydroxide Caesium hydroxide Water and all other hydroxides |
| Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) Chemical infobox | |
Rubidium Hydroxide (RbOH) is a strong basic chemical and alkali that is formed by one rubidium ion and one hydroxide ion.
Rubidium hydroxide does not appear in nature. However it can be obtained by synthesis from rubidium oxide. In addition, rubidium hydroxide is commercially available in form of an aqueous solution from a few suppliers.
Rubidium is highly corrosive, therefore suitable protective clothing, gloves and eye-face protection are required when handling this material.
Synthesis
Rubidium hydroxide can be synthesized from rubidium oxide by dissolving the oxide into water:
- Rb2O (s) + H2O (l) → 2RbOH (aq)
Rubidium hydroxide is also commercially available from a certain number of chemical suppliers in form of 50% or 99% aqueous solution at multiples of 5gr.
Uses
Rubidium hydroxide is rarely used in industrial processes because potassium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide can perform nearly all the industrial functions of rubidium hydroxide in a less violent and hence safer way.
Rubidium hydroxide is used in scientific research. It is often used sparingly to prevent waste of the expensive element rubidium.
Despite the fact that rubidium hydroxide is rarely used in normal industrial processes, it is notable that the synthesis of nearly all rubidium compounds involves rubidium hydroxide as an intermediate. Natural rubidium oxide is added to water, and the resulting reaction forms soluble rubidium hydroxide as a product.
Hazard prevention
Rubidium hydroxide is a corrosive compound that causes immediate burns to the skin on contact. Ultimate care must be carried out when handling this chemical.
In the laboratory, protective clothing, gloves, and eye-face protection made from alkali-resistant materials are to be worn to prevent injury caused by accidental leakage of rubidium hydroxide onto human skin.
Dilution of this strong alkali must be done by adding the hydroxide slowly into the beaker of water.
In addition, chemical experiments on this compound must be performed with caution to prevent the great amount of heat released in an exothermic reaction from causing the solution to boil-over or damage the vessel.
See also
References
- http://www.webelements.com/webelements/compounds/text/Rb/O1Rb2-18088114.html :Rubidium oxide on WebElements. Accessed in August 2005.
- http://www.chemexper.com/chemicals/supplier/cas/1310-82-3.html :Rubidium hydroxide on ChemExper. Accessed in September 2005.
External links
"Rubidium hydroxide"