Cadmium chloride is a white crystalline compound of cadmium and chloride, with the formula CdCl2. This salt is a hygroscopic solid that is highly soluble in water and slightly soluble in alcohol. The crystal structure of cadmium chloride (described below), is a reference for describing other crystal structures. Also known are CdCl2•H2O and the hemipenahydrate CdCl2•2.5H2O.[2]
| |||
![]() | |||
Names | |||
---|---|---|---|
IUPAC name
Cadmium dichloride
| |||
Other names
Cadmium(II) chloride
| |||
Identifiers | |||
| |||
3D model (JSmol)
|
| ||
3902835 | |||
ChEBI |
| ||
ChemSpider |
| ||
ECHA InfoCard | 100.030.256 | ||
EC Number |
| ||
912918 | |||
KEGG |
| ||
PubChem CID
|
| ||
RTECS number |
| ||
UNII |
| ||
UN number | 2570 | ||
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
|
| ||
| |||
| |||
Properties | |||
CdCl2 | |||
Molar mass | 183.31 g·mol−1 | ||
Appearance | White solid, hygroscopic | ||
Odor | Odorless | ||
Density | 4.047 g/cm3 (anhydrous)[1] 3.26 g/cm3 (monohydrate) 3.327 g/cm3 (Hemipentahydrate)[2] | ||
Melting point | 568 °C (1,054 °F; 841 K) [2] | ||
Boiling point | 964 °C (1,767 °F; 1,237 K) [2] | ||
Hemipentahydrate: 79.5 g/100 mL (−10 °C) 90 g/100 mL (0 °C) Monohydrate: 119.6 g/100 mL (25 °C)[2] 134.3 g/100 mL (40 °C) 134.2 g/100 mL (60 °C) 147 g/100 mL (100 °C)[3] | |||
Solubility | Soluble in alcohol, selenium(IV) oxychloride, benzonitrile Insoluble in ether, acetone[1] | ||
Solubility in pyridine | 4.6 g/kg (0 °C) 7.9 g/kg (4 °C) 8.1 g/kg (15 °C) 6.7 g/kg (30 °C) 5 g/kg (100 °C)[1] | ||
Solubility in ethanol | 1.3 g/100 g (10 °C) 1.48 g/100 g (20 °C) 1.91 g/100 g (40 °C) 2.53 g/100 g (70 °C)[1] | ||
Solubility in dimethyl sulfoxide | 18 g/100 g (25 °C)[1] | ||
Vapor pressure | 0.01 kPa (471 °C) 0.1 kPa (541 °C)[2] | ||
−6.87·10−5 cm3/mol[2] | |||
Viscosity | 2.31 cP (597 °C) 1.87 cP (687 °C)[1] | ||
Structure | |||
Rhombohedral, hR9 (anhydrous)[4] Monoclinic (hemipentahydrate)[3] | |||
R3m, No. 166 (anhydrous)[4] | |||
3 2/m (anhydrous)[4] | |||
a = 3.846 Å, c = 17.479 Å (anhydrous)[4] α = 90°, β = 90°, γ = 120°
| |||
Thermochemistry | |||
Heat capacity (C)
|
74.7 J/mol·K[2] | ||
Std molar
entropy (S⦵298) |
115.3 J/mol·K[2] | ||
Std enthalpy of
formation (ΔfH⦵298) |
−391.5 kJ/mol[2] | ||
Gibbs free energy (ΔfG⦵)
|
−343.9 kJ/mol[2] | ||
Hazards | |||
GHS labelling: | |||
![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
Danger | |||
H301, H330, H340, H350, H360, H372, H410[5] | |||
P210, P260, P273, P284, P301+P310, P310[5] | |||
NFPA 704 (fire diamond) | |||
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC): | |||
LD50 (median dose)
|
94 mg/kg (rats, oral)[1] 60 mg/kg (mouse, oral) 88 mg/kg (rat, oral)[7] | ||
NIOSH (US health exposure limits): | |||
PEL (Permissible)
|
[1910.1027] TWA 0.005 mg/m3 (as Cd)[6] | ||
REL (Recommended)
|
Ca[6] | ||
IDLH (Immediate danger)
|
Ca [9 mg/m3 (as Cd)][6] | ||
Safety data sheet (SDS) | External MSDS | ||
Related compounds | |||
Other anions
|
Cadmium fluoride Cadmium bromide Cadmium iodide | ||
Other cations
|
Zinc chloride Mercury(II) chloride Calcium chloride | ||
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
![]() ![]() ![]() Infobox references
|
Anhydrous cadmium chloride forms a layered structure consisting of octahedral Cd2+ centers linked with chloride ligands. Cadmium iodide, CdI2, has a similar structure, but the iodide ions are arranged in a HCP lattice, whereas in CdCl2 the chloride ions are arranged in a CCP lattice.[8][9]
The anhydrous form absorbs moisture from the air to form various hydrates. Three of these hydrates have been examined by X-ray crystallography.
Compound | CdCl2·H2O[10] | CdCl2·2.5H2O[11] | CdCl2·4H2O[12] |
---|---|---|---|
Molar mass (g/mol) | 201.33 | 228.36 | 255.38 |
Crystal Structure | Orthorhombic | Monoclinic | Orthorhombic |
Space Group | Pnma | P21/n | P212121 |
Lattice constant a (Å) | 9.25 | 9.21 | 12.89 |
Lattice constant b (Å) | 3.78 | 11.88 | 7.28 |
Lattice constant c (Å) | 11.89 | 10.08 | 15.01 |
β | 93.5° | ||
Density (g/cm3) | 3.26 | 2.84 | 2.41 |
Comment | Interconnected CdCl3(H2O) octahederons | Distorted trans-[CdCl2(H2O)4] octahedrons |
Cadmium chloride dissolves well in water and other polar solvents. It is a mild Lewis acid.[8]
Solutions of equimolar cadmium chloride and potassium chloride give potassium cadmium trichloride.[13] With large cations, it is possible to isolate the trigonal bipyramidal [CdCl5]3− ion.
Cadmium metal is soluble in molten cadmium chloride, produced by heating cadmium chloride above 568 °C. Upon cooling, the metal precipitates.[14]
Anhydrous cadmium chloride can be prepared by the reaction of hydrochloric acid and cadmium metal or cadmium oxide.[14]
The anhydrous salt can also be prepared from anhydrous cadmium acetate using hydrogen chloride or acetyl chloride.[15]
Industrially, it is produced by the reaction of molten cadmium and chlorine gas at 600 °C.[14]
The monohydrate, hemipentahydrate, and tetrahydrate can be produced by evaporation of the solution of cadmium chloride at 35, 20, and 0 °C respectively. The hemipentahydrate and tetrahydrate release water in air.[10][11][12]
Cadmium chloride is used for the preparation of cadmium sulfide, used as "cadmium yellow", a brilliant-yellow stable inorganic pigment.[14]
In the laboratory, anhydrous CdCl2 can be used for the preparation of organocadmium compounds of the type R2Cd, where R is an aryl or a primary alkyl. These were once used in the synthesis of ketones from acyl chlorides:[16]
Such reagents have largely been supplanted by organocopper compounds, which are much less toxic.
Cadmium chloride is also used for photocopying, dyeing and electroplating.
Like all cadmium compounds, CdCl
2 is highly toxic and appropriate safety precautions must be taken when handling it.