Lead(II) perchlorate explained

Lead(II) perchlorate is a chemical compound with the formula Pb(ClO₄)₂·xH₂O, where is x is 0,1, or 3. It is an extremely hygroscopic white solid that is very soluble in water.^[1]

Preparation

Lead perchlorate trihydrate is produced by the reaction of lead(II) oxide, lead carbonate, or lead nitrate by perchloric acid:

Pb(NO₃)₂ + HClO₄ → Pb(ClO₄)₂ + HNO₃The excess perchloric acid was removed by first heating the solution to 125 °C, then heating it under moist air at 160 °C to remove the perchloric acid by converting the acid to the dihydrate. The anhydrous salt, Pb(ClO₄)₂, is produced by heating the trihydrate to 120 °C under water-free conditions over phosphorus pentoxide. The trihydrate melts at 83 °C. The anhydrous salt decomposes into lead(II) chloride and a mixture of lead oxides at 250 °C.^[2] The monohydrate is produced by only partially dehydrating the trihydrate, and this salt undergoes hydrolysis at 103 °C.^[3]

The solution of anhydrous lead(II) perchlorate in methanol is explosive.

Applications

Lead perchlorate has a high nucleon density, making it a viable detector for hypothetical proton decay.

References

1. H. H. Willard . J. L. Kassner . PREPARATION AND PROPERTIES OF LEAD PERCHLORATE . Journal of the American Chemical Society . 1930 . 52 . 6 . 2391–2396 . 10.1021/ja01369a027 . ACS Publications . en.
2. Zinov'ev, A. A.; and Kritsov, N. V. (1960). Zhur. Neorg. Khim. issue 5: p. 1418, as cited in Giridharan . A. S. . Udupa . M. R. . Aravamudan . G. . February 1975 . Thermal behaviour of thallous perchlorate . Journal of Thermal Analysis . en . 7 . 1 . 65–71 . 10.1007/BF01911626 . 0022-5215.
3. A. V. Dudin . Water-vapor pressure and thermodynamics of the dehydration of manganese, nickel, cadmium, and lead perchlorate hydrates . Russian Chemical Bulletin . 1993 . 42 . 417–421 . 10.1007/BF00698419 . en.

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