Selenic acid

Selenic acid
Structural formula of selenic acid
Structural formula of selenic acid
Space-filling model of selenic acid
Space-filling model of selenic acid
Names
IUPAC name
Selenic(VI) acid
Other names
Selenic acid
Identifiers
CAS Number
  • 7783-08-6 checkY
3D model (JSmol)
  • Interactive image
ChEBI
  • CHEBI:18170 checkY
ChemSpider
  • 1058 checkY
ECHA InfoCard 100.029.072 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 231-979-4
KEGG
  • C05697 checkY
PubChem CID
  • 1089
RTECS number
  • VS6575000
UNII
  • HV0Y51NC4J checkY
UN number 1905
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)
  • DTXSID2064818 Edit this at Wikidata
InChI
  • InChI=1S/H2O4Se/c1-5(2,3)4/h(H2,1,2,3,4) checkY
    Key: QYHFIVBSNOWOCQ-UHFFFAOYSA-N checkY
  • InChI=1/H2O4Se/c1-5(2,3)4/h(H2,1,2,3,4)
    Key: QYHFIVBSNOWOCQ-UHFFFAOYAI
  • O[Se+2]([O-])([O-])O
Properties
Chemical formula
H2SeO4
Molar mass 144.9734 g/mol
Appearance Colorless deliquescent crystals
Density 2.95 g/cm3, solid
Melting point 58 °C (136 °F; 331 K)
Boiling point 260 °C (500 °F; 533 K) (decomposes)
Solubility in water
130 g/(100 mL) (30 °C)
Acidity (pKa) pKa1 = −3
pKa2 = 1.9[1]
Conjugate base Biselenate
−51.2·10−6 cm3/mol
1.5174 (D-line, 20 °C)
Structure
tetrahedral at Se
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards
Corrosive, highly toxic
GHS labelling:[2]
GHS05: CorrosiveGHS06: ToxicGHS08: Health hazardGHS09: Environmental hazard
Danger
H301, H315, H318, H331, H373, H410
P260, P261, P264, P270, P271, P273, P280, P301+P310, P302+P352, P304+P340, P305+P351+P338, P310, P311, P314, P321, P330, P332+P313, P362, P391, P403+P233, P405, P501
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)
NFPA 704 four-colored diamondHealth 3: Short exposure could cause serious temporary or residual injury. E.g. chlorine gasFlammability 0: Will not burn. E.g. waterInstability 2: Undergoes violent chemical change at elevated temperatures and pressures, reacts violently with water, or may form explosive mixtures with water. E.g. white phosphorusSpecial hazard OX: Oxidizer. E.g. potassium perchlorate
3
0
2
OX
Related compounds
Other anions
selenious acid
hydrogen selenide
Other cations
sodium selenate
potassium selenate
Related compounds
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references
Chemical compound

Selenic acid is the inorganic compound with the formula H2SeO4. It is an oxoacid of selenium, and its structure is more accurately described as O2Se(OH)2. It is a colorless compound. Although it has few uses, one of its salts, sodium selenate is used in the production of glass and animal feeds.[3]

Structure and bonding

The molecule is tetrahedral, as predicted by VSEPR theory. The Se–O bond length is 161 pm.[4] In the solid state, it crystallizes in an orthorhombic structure.[5]

Preparation

It is prepared by oxidising selenium compounds in lower oxidation states. One method involves the oxidation of selenium dioxide with hydrogen peroxide:

SeO2 + H2O2 → H2SeO4

Unlike the production sulfuric acid by hydration of sulfur trioxide, the hydration of selenium trioxide is an impractical method.[4] Instead, selenic acid may also be prepared by the oxidation of selenous acid (H2SeO3) with halogens, such as chlorine or bromine, or with potassium permanganate.[6] Using chlorine or bromine as the oxidising agents also produces hydrochloric or hydrobromic acid as a side-product, which needs to be removed from the solution since they can reduce the selenic acid to selenous acid.[7]

To obtain the anhydrous acid as a crystalline solid, the resulting solution is evaporated at temperatures below 140 °C (413 K; 284 °F) in a vacuum.[8]

Reactions

Like sulfuric acid, selenic acid is a strong acid that is hygroscopic and extremely soluble in water. Concentrated solutions are viscous. Crystalline mono- and di-hydrates are known.[6] The monohydrate melts at 26 °C, and the dihydrate melts at −51.7 °C.[4]

Selenic acid is a stronger oxidizer than sulfuric acid,[9] capable of liberating chlorine from chloride ions, being reduced to selenous acid in the process:

H2SeO4 + 2 H+ + 2 Cl → H2SeO3 + H2O + Cl2

It decomposes above 200 °C, liberating oxygen gas and being reduced to selenous acid:[6]

2 H2SeO4 → 2 H2SeO3 + O2

Selenic acid reacts with barium salts to precipitate solid BaSeO4, analogous to the sulfate. In general, selenate salts resemble sulfate salts, but are more soluble. Many selenate salts have the same crystal structure as the corresponding sulfate salts.[4]

Treatment with fluorosulfuric acid gives selenoyl fluoride:[8]

H2SeO4 + 2 HSO3F → SeO2F2 + 2 H2SO4

Hot, concentrated selenic acid reacts with gold, forming a reddish-yellow solution of gold(III) selenate:[10]

2 Au + 6 H2SeO4 → Au2(SeO4)3 + 3 H2SeO3 + 3 H2O

Applications

Selenic acid is used as a specialized oxidizing agent.

References

  1. ^ Magdi Selim, H. (2011-03-15). Dynamics and Bioavailability of Heavy Metals in the Rootzone. CRC Press. ISBN 9781439826232.
  2. ^ "Selenic acid". pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 16 December 2021.
  3. ^ Bernd E. Langner "Selenium and Selenium Compounds" in Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry, 2005, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim. doi:10.1002/14356007.a23_525.
  4. ^ a b c d Don M. Yost (2007). Systematic Inorganic Chemistry. Read Books. pp. 343–346. ISBN 978-1-4067-7302-6.
  5. ^ Mathias S. Wickleder (2007). Francesco A. Devillanova (ed.). Handbook of Chalcogen Chemistry: New Perspectives in Sulfur, Selenium and Tellurium. Royal Society of Chemistry. p. 353. ISBN 978-0-85404-366-8.
  6. ^ a b c Anil Kumar De (2003). A Text Book of Inorganic Chemistry. New Age International. pp. 543–545. ISBN 81-224-1384-6.
  7. ^ Lenher, V.; Kao, C. H. (June 1925). "The preparation of selenic acid and of certain selenates". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 47 (6): 1521–1522. doi:10.1021/ja01683a005.
  8. ^ a b Seppelt, K. “Selenoyl Difluoride” Inorganic Syntheses, 1980, volume XX, pp. 36-38. ISBN 0-471-07715-1. The report describes the synthesis of selenic acid.
  9. ^ Greenwood, Norman N.; Earnshaw, Alan (1997). Chemistry of the Elements (2nd ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 782. ISBN 978-0-08-037941-8.
  10. ^ Lenher, V. (April 1902). "Action of selenic acid on gold". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 24 (4): 354–355. doi:10.1021/ja02018a005.
  • v
  • t
  • e
Selenium compounds
Se(−II)
Se(0,I)
  • Se3S5
Se(I)
  • Se2S6
  • Se2Cl2
  • C3H7NO2Se
Se(II)
  • SeBr2
  • SeCl2
  • SeS2
Se(IV)
  • SeO2−3
  • SeBr4
  • SeCl4
  • SeF4
  • SeO2
  • SeS2
  • SeOBr2
  • SeOCl2
  • H2SeO3
Se(VI)
  • SeO2−4
  • SeF6
  • SeO3
  • SeO2F2
  • H2SeO4
Se(IV,VI)
  • SeO2−4 + SeO2−3
  • v
  • t
  • e
  • H3AsO3
  • H3AsO4
  • HArF
  • HAt
  • HSO3F
  • H[BF4]
  • HBr
  • HBrO
  • HBrO2
  • HBrO3
  • HBrO4
  • HCl
  • HClO
  • HClO2
  • HClO3
  • HClO4
  • HCN
  • HCNO
  • H2CrO4/H2Cr2O7
  • H2CO3
  • H2CS3
  • HF
  • HFO
  • HI
  • HIO
  • HIO2
  • HIO3
  • HIO4
  • HMnO4
  • H2MnO4
  • H2MoO4
  • HNC
  • NaHCO3
  • HNCO
  • HNO
  • HNO2
  • HNO3
  • H2N2O2
  • HNO5S
  • H3NSO3
  • H2O
  • H2O2
  • H2O3
  • H2O4
  • H2O5
  • H3PO2
  • H3PO3
  • H3PO4
  • H4P2O7
  • H5P3O10
  • H2[PtCl6]
  • H2S
  • H2S2
  • H2Se
  • H2SeO3
  • H2SeO4
  • H4SiO4
  • H2[SiF6]
  • HSCN
  • HNCS
  • H2SO3
  • H2SO4
  • H2SO5
  • H2S2O3
  • H3O
  • H2S2O6
  • H2S2O7
  • H2S2O8
  • CF3SO3H
  • H2Te
  • H2TeO3
  • H6TeO6
  • H4TiO4
  • H2Po
  • H[Co(CO)4]
  • v
  • t
  • e
Salts and covalent derivatives of the selenate ion
H2SeO4 He
Li2SeO4 Be B C (NH4)2SeO4 O F Ne
Na2SeO4 MgSeO4 Al2(SeO4)3 Si P S Cl Ar
K2SeO4 CaSeO4 Sc Ti V Cr Mn FeSeO4
Fe2(SeO4)3
CoSeO4 NiSeO4 CuSeO4 ZnSeO4 Ga2(SeO4)3 Ge As SeO42- Br Kr
Rb2SeO4 Sr Y Zr(SeO4)2 Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag2SeO4 CdSeO4 In Sn Sb Te I Xe
Cs2SeO4 BaSeO4 * Lu2(SeO4)3 Hf(SeO4)2 Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au2(SeO3)2(SeO4) Hg Tl PbSeO4 Bi Po At Rn
Fr Ra ** Lr Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Cn Nh Fl Mc Lv Ts Og
 
* La2(SeO4)3 Ce2(SeO4)3
Ce(SeO4)2
Pr2(SeO4)3 Nd Pm Sm2(SeO4)3 Eu Gd2(SeO4)3 Tb Dy2(SeO4)3 Ho2(SeO4)3 Er2(SeO4)3 Tm2(SeO4)3 Yb2(SeO4)3
** Ac Th(SeO4)2 Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No