Chromium trioxide is the
inorganic compoundInorganic compounds have traditionally been considered to be of inanimate, non-biological origin. In contrast, organic compounds have an explicit biological origin. However, over the past century, the classification of inorganic vs organic compounds has become less important to scientists,...
with the
formulaA chemical formula or molecular formula is a way of expressing information about the atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound....
CrO
3. It is the
acidic anhydrideAn acidic oxide is an oxide that either*reacts with water to form an acid; or*reacts with a base to form a salt.Examples include:...
of
chromic acidThe term chromic acid is usually used for a mixture made by adding concentrated sulfuric acid to a dichromate, which may contain a variety of compounds, including solid chromium trioxide. This kind of chromic acid may be used as a cleaning mixture for glass. Chromic acid may also refer to the...
, and is sometimes marketed under the same name.
This compound is a dark-red/orange brown
solidSolid is one of the three classical states of matter . It is characterized by structural rigidity and resistance to changes of shape or volume. Unlike a liquid, a solid object does not flow to take on the shape of its container, nor does it expand to fill the entire volume available to it like a...
, which dissolves in water concomitant with hydrolysis. Millions of kilograms are produced annually, mainly for electroplating.
Production, structure, and basic reactions
Chromium trioxide is generated by treating
sodium chromateSodium chromate is a yellow solid chemical compound used as a corrosion inhibitor in the petroleum industry, a dyeing auxiliary in the textile industry, as a wood preservative, and as a diagnostic pharmaceutical in determining red blood cell volume....
or the corresponding
sodium dichromateSodium dichromate is the chemical compound with the formula Na2Cr2O7. Usually, however, the salt is handled as its dihydrate Na2Cr2O7·2H2O. Virtually all chromium ore is processed via conversion to sodium dichromate. In this way, many millions of kilograms of sodium dichromate are produced...
with
sulfuric acidSulfuric acid is a strong mineral acid with the molecular formula . Its historical name is oil of vitriol. Pure sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid. The salts of sulfuric acid are called sulfates...
:
- H2SO4 + Na2CrO4 → CrO3 + Na2SO4 + H2O
Approximately 100M kg are produced annually by this or similar routes.
The solid consists of chains of tetrahedrally coordinated chromium atoms that share vertices. Each
chromiumChromium is a chemical element which has the symbol Cr and atomic number 24. It is the first element in Group 6. It is a steely-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. It is also odorless, tasteless, and malleable...
center, therefore, shares two oxygen centers with neighbors. Two oxygen atoms are not shared, giving an overall stoichiometry of 1:3.
The structure of monomeric CrO
3 has been calculated using
density functional theoryDensity functional theory is a quantum mechanical modelling method used in physics and chemistry to investigate the electronic structure of many-body systems, in particular atoms, molecules, and the condensed phases. With this theory, the properties of a many-electron system can be determined by...
, and is predicted to be pyramidal (point group C
3v) rather than planar (point group D
3h).
Chromium trioxide decomposes above 197°C liberating oxygen eventually giving
Cr2O3Chromium oxide is the inorganic compound of the formula Cr2O3. It is one of principal oxides of chromium and is used as a pigment. In nature, it occurs as the rare mineral eskolaite.-Structure and properties:...
:
- 4 CrO3 → 2 Cr2O3 + 3 O2
It is used in
organic synthesisOrganic synthesis is a special branch of chemical synthesis and is concerned with the construction of organic compounds via organic reactions. Organic molecules can often contain a higher level of complexity compared to purely inorganic compounds, so the synthesis of organic compounds has...
as an oxidant, often as a solution in
acetic acidAcetic acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CO2H . It is a colourless liquid that when undiluted is also called glacial acetic acid. Acetic acid is the main component of vinegar , and has a distinctive sour taste and pungent smell...
, or
acetoneAcetone is the organic compound with the formula 2CO, a colorless, mobile, flammable liquid, the simplest example of the ketones.Acetone is miscible with water and serves as an important solvent in its own right, typically as the solvent of choice for cleaning purposes in the laboratory...
in the case of the
Jones oxidationThe Jones oxidation, is an organic reaction for the oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to carboxylic acids and ketones, respectively. It is named after its discoverer, Sir Ewart Jones....
. In these oxidations, the Cr(VI) converts 1.5 equivalents of
alcoholIn chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
s to the corresponding
ketoneIn organic chemistry, a ketone is an organic compound with the structure RCR', where R and R' can be a variety of atoms and groups of atoms. It features a carbonyl group bonded to two other carbon atoms. Many ketones are known and many are of great importance in industry and in biology...
s or
aldehydeAn aldehyde is an organic compound containing a formyl group. This functional group, with the structure R-CHO, consists of a carbonyl center bonded to hydrogen and an R group....
s:
- 2 CrO3 + 3 RCH2OH → Cr2O3 + 3 RCHO + 3 H2O
Applications
Chromium trioxide is mainly used in chrome-plating. It is typically employed with additives that affect the plating process but do not react with the trioxide. The trioxide reacts with cadmium, zinc, and other metals to generate passivating chromate films that resist corrosion. It is also used in the production of synthetic rubies.
Safety
Chromium trioxide is highly toxic, corrosive, and carcinogenic. It is the main example of
hexavalent chromiumHexavalent chromium refers to chemical compounds that contain the element chromium in the +6 oxidation state. Virtually all chromium ore is processed via hexavalent chromium, specifically the salt sodium dichromate. Approximately of hexavalent chromium were produced in 1985...
, an environmental hazard. The related chromium(III) derivatives are not particularly dangerous; thus, reductants are used to destroy chromium(VI) samples.
Chromium trioxide, being a powerful oxidizer, will ignite some organic materials (such as
ethanolEthanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
) on contact.
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