Rubidium hydroxide
| 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 | [1310-82-3] |
| 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 | Template:Rubidiumcompounds |
| 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) Infobox disclaimer and references | |
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 does not naturally exist. It can be synthesized from another rubidium compound, 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 often used in scientific research because of the many uncertainties and unrevealed power inside the compound. The compound, as with all other rubidium compounds, must be very carefully used to prevent wastage of the rare 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 involve rubidium hydroxide as a semi-finished product. This is because by adding water, the catalyst for synthesizing most metal compounds, to rubidium oxide, the original form of natural rubidium, rubidium hydroxide is produced as a result.
Hazard prevention
Rubidium hydroxide is a dangerous compound that causes immediate burns on the skin at contact. The very ultimate care must be carried out when handling this chemical.
In laboratory, protective clothing, gloves and eye-face protection, preferably made from alkali-resistant materials, are to be worn to prevent damages caused by accidental leakage of rubidium hydroxide onto human skin, causing injuries.
Dilution this strong alkali must be done by adding the hydroxide slowly into the big beaker of water.
In addition, chemical experiments on this compound must be done with very small and dilute amounts of solution to prevent the great amount of energy generated from the exothermic reaction from damaging the container.
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.