Thallium(I) hydroxide, also called thallous hydroxide, TlOH, is a
hydroxide
Hydroxide is a diatomic anion with chemical formula OH−. It consists of an oxygen and hydrogen atom held together by a single covalent bond, and carries a negative electric charge. It is an important but usually minor constituent of water. I ...
of
thallium
Thallium is a chemical element with the symbol Tl and atomic number 81. It is a gray post-transition metal that is not found free in nature. When isolated, thallium resembles tin, but discolors when exposed to air. Chemists William Crookes an ...
, with thallium in
oxidation state
In chemistry, the oxidation state, or oxidation number, is the hypothetical charge of an atom if all of its bonds to different atoms were fully ionic. It describes the degree of oxidation (loss of electrons) of an atom in a chemical compound. C ...
+1.
Synthesis
Thallium(I) hydroxide is obtained from the decomposition of
thallium(I) ethoxide in water.
:C
2H
5OTl + H
2O → TlOH + C
2H
5OH
This can also be done by direct reaction of thallium with
ethanol
Ethanol (abbr. EtOH; also called ethyl alcohol, grain alcohol, drinking alcohol, or simply alcohol) is an organic compound. It is an alcohol with the chemical formula . Its formula can be also written as or (an ethyl group linked to a ...
and
oxygen
Oxygen is the chemical element with the symbol O and atomic number 8. It is a member of the chalcogen group in the periodic table, a highly reactive nonmetal, and an oxidizing agent that readily forms oxides with most elements as ...
gas.
:4 Tl + 2 C
2H
5OH + O
2 → 2 C
2H
5OTl + 2 TlOH
Another method is the reaction between
thallium(I) sulfate and
barium hydroxide
Barium hydroxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula Ba(OH)2. The monohydrate (''x'' = 1), known as baryta or baryta-water, is one of the principal compounds of barium. This white granular monohydrate is the usual commercial form.
...
.
:Tl
2SO
4 + Ba(OH)
2 → 2 TlOH + BaSO
4
Properties
Thallous hydroxide is a strong base; it dissociates to the thallous
ion
An ion () is an atom or molecule with a net electrical charge.
The charge of an electron is considered to be negative by convention and this charge is equal and opposite to the charge of a proton, which is considered to be positive by conve ...
, Tl
+, except in strongly basic conditions. Tl
+ resembles an alkali metal ion, A
+, such as Li
+ or K
+.
References
Hydroxides
Thallium(I) compounds
{{inorganic-compound-stub