- Basic beryllium acetate
Basic beryllium acetate is the
chemical compound with the formula Be4O(O2CCH3)6. Although this compound has no applications and has been only lightly studied, it adopts a distinctive structure and exhibits remarkable thermal stability. "Basicacetates " consist of an ensemble of metal atoms, a central oxide atom, and an exterior of acetate groups. Another family of basic acetates are trimetallic with the formula M3O(O2CCH3)6(H2O)3 (M = Cr, Fe, Ru). Mixed metal members of this family also exist.Preparation
To prepare Be4O(O2CCH3)6,
basic beryllium carbonate is treated with hotacetic acid . The product is insoluble in water but soluble inchloroform , indicative of a nonpolar species. It melts at 284 °C and sublimes in a vacuum without decomposition. [Moeller, T.; Cohen, A. J.; Marvell, E. “Basic Beryllium Acetate and Proprionate” Inorganic Syntheses McGraw-Hill: New York, 1950; Vol. 3, 9-11.]tructure
The structure of Be4O(O2CCH3)6 is relevant to its considerable stability. It is
diamondoid , consisting of interlocking six-membered Be2O3C rings. The structure of this compound has been examined by two famous crystallography laboratories. [Bragg, W. H. "Crystal Structure of Basic Beryllium Acetate" Nature, 1923, volume 111, page 532.] [Pauling, L.; Sherman, J. "The Structure of the Carboxyl Group: II. The Crystal Structure of Basic Beryllium Acetate." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (US) 1934, volume 20, pages 340-5.]References
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