Telluric acid
Telluric acid, or more accurately orthotelluric acid, is a chemical compound with the formula Te(OH)6, often written as H6TeO6. It is a white crystalline solid made up of octahedral Te(OH)6 molecules which persist in aqueous solution.[3] In the solid state, there are two forms, rhombohedral and monoclinic, and both contain octahedral Te(OH)6 molecules,[4] containing one hexavalent tellurium (Te) atom in the +6 oxidation state, attached to six hydroxyl (–OH) groups, thus, it can be called tellurium(VI) hydroxide. Telluric acid is a weak acid which is dibasic, forming tellurate salts with strong bases and hydrogen tellurate salts with weaker bases or upon hydrolysis of tellurates in water.[4][5] It is used as tellurium-source in the synthesis of oxidation catalysts. PreparationTelluric acid is formed by the oxidation of tellurium or tellurium dioxide with a powerful oxidising agent such as hydrogen peroxide, chromium trioxide or sodium peroxide.[4]
Crystallization of telluric acid solutions below 10 °C gives telluric acid tetrahydrate Te(OH)6·4H2O.[3] It is an oxidising agent, as shown by the electrode potential for the reaction below, although it is kinetically slow in its oxidations.[4]
Chlorine, by comparison, is +1.36 V and selenous acid is +0.74 V in oxidizing conditions. Properties and reactionsThe anhydrous acid is stable in air at 100 °C but above this it dehydrates to form polymetatelluric acid, a white hygroscopic powder (approximate composition (H2TeO4)10), and allotelluric acid, an acid syrup of unknown structure (approximate composition 3·H2TeO4·4H2O).[6][3] Typical salts of the acid contains the anions [Te(O)(OH)5]− and [Te(O)2(OH)4]2−. The presence of the tellurate ion TeO2−4 has been confirmed in the solid state structure of Rb6[TeO5][TeO4].[7] Strong heating at over 300 °C produces the α crystalline modification of tellurium trioxide, α-TeO3. [5] Reaction with diazomethane gives the hexamethyl ester, Te(OCH3)6.[3] Telluric acid and its salts mostly contain hexacoordinate tellurium.[4] This is true even for salts such as magnesium tellurate, MgTeO4, which is isostructural with magnesium molybdate and contains TeO6 octahedra.[4] Other forms of telluric acidMetatelluric acid, H2TeO4, the tellurium analogue of sulfuric acid, H2SO4, is unknown. Allotelluric acid of approximate composition 3·H2TeO4·4H2O, is not well characterised and may be a mixture of Te(OH)6 and (H2TeO4)n.[3] Other tellurium acidsTellurous acid H2TeO3, containing tellurium in its +4 oxidation state, is known but not well characterised. Hydrogen telluride is an unstable gas that forms hydrotelluric acid upon addition to water. References
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