Sodium perchlorate is the

inorganic compound In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...

with the

chemical formula In chemistry, a chemical formula is a way of presenting information about the chemical proportions of atoms that constitute a particular chemical compound or molecule, using chemical element symbols, numbers, and sometimes also other symbols, ...

Na ClO₄. It is a white crystalline,

hygroscopic Hygroscopy is the phenomenon of attracting and holding water molecules via either absorption or adsorption from the surrounding environment, which is usually at normal or room temperature. If water molecules become suspended among the substance ...

solid that is highly soluble in water and in alcohol. It is usually encountered as the

monohydrate In chemistry, a hydrate is a substance that contains water or its constituent elements. The chemical state of the water varies widely between different classes of hydrates, some of which were so labeled before their chemical structure was underst ...

. The compound is noteworthy as the most water-soluble of the common

perchlorate A perchlorate is a chemical compound containing the perchlorate ion, . The majority of perchlorates are commercially produced salts. They are mainly used as oxidizers for pyrotechnic devices and to control static electricity in food packaging. Per ...

salts. Sodium perchlorate and other perchlorates has been found on the planet Mars, first detected by the NASA probe

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

in 2009. This was later confirmed by spectral analysis by the

Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter ''Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter'' (MRO) is a spacecraft designed to study the geology and climate of Mars, provide reconnaissance of future landing sites, and relay data from surface missions back to Earth. It was launched on August 12, 2005, an ...

in 2015 of what is thought to be brine seeps which may be the first evidence of flowing liquid water containing hydrated salts on Mars.

Selected properties

Its heat of formation is −382.75 kJ/mol, i.e. it is favorable for it to decompose into

sodium chloride Sodium chloride , commonly known as salt (although sea salt also contains other chemical salts), is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions. With molar masses of 22.99 and 35.45 g ...

and

dioxygen There are several known allotropes of oxygen. The most familiar is molecular oxygen (O2), present at significant levels in Earth's atmosphere and also known as dioxygen or triplet oxygen. Another is the highly reactive ozone (O3). Others are: *A ...

. It crystallizes in the

rhombic crystal system In crystallography, the hexagonal crystal family is one of the six crystal families, which includes two crystal systems (hexagonal and trigonal) and two lattice systems (hexagonal and rhombohedral). While commonly confused, the trigonal crysta ...

Uses

Sodium perchlorate is the precursor to many other perchlorate salts, often taking advantage of their low solubility relative to NaClO₄ (209 g/100 mL at 25 °C).

Perchloric acid Perchloric acid is a mineral acid with the formula H Cl O4. Usually found as an aqueous solution, this colorless compound is a stronger acid than sulfuric acid, nitric acid and hydrochloric acid. It is a powerful oxidizer when hot, but aqueous s ...

is made by treating NaClO₄ with HCl.

Ammonium perchlorate Ammonium perchlorate ("AP") is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4 ClO4. It is a colorless or white solid that is soluble in water. It is a powerful oxidizer. Combined with a fuel, it can be used as a rocket propellant called ammonium pe ...

and potassium perchlorate, of interest in rocketry and pyrotechnics, are prepared by

double decomposition A salt metathesis reaction, sometimes called a double displacement reaction, is a chemical process involving the exchange of bonds between two reacting chemical species which results in the creation of products with similar or identical bonding a ...

from a solution of sodium perchlorate and ammonium chloride or

potassium chloride Potassium chloride (KCl, or potassium salt) is a metal halide salt composed of potassium and chlorine. It is odorless and has a white or colorless vitreous crystal appearance. The solid dissolves readily in water, and its solutions have a salt ...

, respectively.

Laboratory applications

Solutions of NaClO₄ are often used as an unreactive electrolyte. It is used in standard DNA extraction and hybridization reactions in molecular biology.

In medicine

Sodium perchlorate can be used to block iodine uptake before administration of iodinated contrast agents in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism (suppressed TSH).Becker C. rophylaxis and treatment of side effects due to iodinated contrast media relevant to radiological practice Radiologe. 2007 Sep;47(9):768-73.

Production

Sodium perchlorate is produced by

anodic oxidation An electrolytic cell is an electrochemical cell that utilizes an external source of electrical energy to force a chemical reaction that would not otherwise occur. The external energy source is a voltage applied between the cell′s two electrode ...

sodium chlorate Sodium chlorate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na ClO3. It is a white crystalline powder that is readily soluble in water. It is hygroscopic. It decomposes above 300 °C to release oxygen and leaves sodium chloride. Sever ...

(NaClO₃) at an inert electrode, such as platinum. : Na⁺ClO₃⁻ + 2H₂O → Na⁺ClO₄⁻ + H⁺ + 2 e⁻ (acidic medium) : Na⁺ClO₃⁻ + 2 OH⁻ → Na⁺ClO₄⁻ + H₂O + 2 e⁻ (alkaline medium)

Safety

LD50 In toxicology, the median lethal dose, LD50 (abbreviation for "lethal dose, 50%"), LC50 (lethal concentration, 50%) or LCt50 is a toxic unit that measures the lethal dose of a toxin, radiation, or pathogen. The value of LD50 for a substance is the ...

is 2 – 4 g/kg (rabbits, oral).

References

External links

WebBook page for NaClO4
{{Perchlorates Perchlorates Sodium compounds Deliquescent substances