Nickel(II) acetate is the name for the
coordination compounds with the formula Ni(CH
3CO
2)
2·x H
2O where x can be 0, 2, and 4. The green tetrahydrate Ni(CH
3CO
2)
2·4 H
2O is most common. It is used for
electroplating.
Synthesis and structure
The compound can be prepared by treating nickel or
nickel(II) carbonate
Nickel(II) carbonate describes one or a mixture of inorganic compounds containing nickel and carbonate. From the industrial perspective, the most important nickel carbonate is basic nickel carbonate with the formula Ni4CO3(OH)6(H2O)4. Simpler carb ...
with acetic acid:
:NiCO
3 + 2 CH
3CO
2H + 3 H
2O → Ni(CH
3CO
2)
2·4 H
2O + CO
2
The green tetrahydrate has been shown by
X-ray crystallography
X-ray crystallography is the experimental science determining the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal, in which the crystalline structure causes a beam of incident X-rays to diffract into many specific directions. By measuring the angles ...
to adopt an octahedral structure, the central nickel centre being coordinated by four water molecules and two acetate
ligand
In coordination chemistry, a ligand is an ion or molecule ( functional group) that binds to a central metal atom to form a coordination complex. The bonding with the metal generally involves formal donation of one or more of the ligand's elec ...
s. It may be dehydrated ''in vacuo'', by reaction with
acetic anhydride or by heat.
Safety
Nickel salts are carcinogenic and irritate the skin.
References
{{Acetates
Nickel compounds
Acetates