Barium acetate

Barium acetate (Ba(C₂H₃O₂)₂) is the salt of barium(II) and acetic acid. Barium acetate is toxic to humans, but it has use in chemistry and manufacturing.

Barium acetate^[1]

Names
IUPAC name Barium acetate
Other names Barium diacetate
Identifiers
CAS Number	543-80-6 Y
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image
Abbreviations	Ba(OAc)2
ChEBI	CHEBI:190441
ChemSpider	10515 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.008.045
EC Number	208-849-0
PubChem CID	10980
RTECS number	AF4550000
UNII	FBA31YJ60R Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID7020130
InChI InChI=1S/2C2H4O2.Ba/c2*1-2(3)4;/h2*1H3,(H,3,4);/q;;+2/p-2 Y Key: ITHZDDVSAWDQPZ-UHFFFAOYSA-L Y InChI=1/2C2H4O2.Ba/c2*1-2(3)4;/h2*1H3,(H,3,4);/q;;+2/p-2 Key: ITHZDDVSAWDQPZ-NUQVWONBAA
SMILES [Ba+2].[O-]C(=O)C.[O-]C(=O)C
Properties
Chemical formula	C4H6BaO4
Molar mass	255.415 g·mol−1
Appearance	White solid
Odor	odorless
Density	2.468 g/cm3 (anhydrous) 2.19 g/cm3 (monohydrate)
Melting point	450 °C (842 °F; 723 K) decomposes
Solubility in water	55.8 g/100 mL (0 °C) 72 g/100mL (20 °C)
Solubility	slightly soluble in ethanol, methanol
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−100.1·10−6 cm3/mol (·2H2O)
Structure
Crystal structure	tetragonal
Hazards
Occupational safety and health (OHS/OSH):
Main hazards	Toxic, hazardous on ingestion
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	3 0 0
Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	108 mg/kg (oral, rat)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). N verify (what is YN ?) Infobox references

Preparation

Barium acetate is generally produced by the reaction of acetic acid with barium carbonate:^[2]

BaCO₃ + 2 CH₃COOH → (CH₃COO)₂Ba + CO₂ + H₂O

The reaction is performed in solution and the barium acetate crystalizes out at temperatures above 41 °C. Between 25 and 40 °C, the monohydrate version crystalizes. Alternatively, barium sulfide can be used:^[2]

BaS + 2 CH₃COOH → (CH₃COO)₂Ba + H₂S

Again, the solvent is evaporated off and the barium acetate crystallized.

Properties

Barium acetate is a white powder, which is highly soluble: at 0 °C, 55.8 g of barium acetate can be dissolved in 100 g of water. It decomposes upon heating into barium carbonate.^{[citation needed]}

Reactions

When heated in air, barium acetate decomposes to the carbonate. It reacts with acids: reaction with sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and nitric acid give the sulfate, chloride and nitrate respectively.^{[citation needed]}

Uses

Barium acetate is used as a mordant for printing textile fabrics, for drying paints and varnishes and in lubricating oil. In chemistry, it is used in the preparation of other acetates; and as a catalyst in organic synthesis.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture

Barium acetate was featured in a 2001 episode of the television series Forensic Files, recounting the 1993 murder of a man by his teenage daughter (Marie Robards), though the episode and other crime documentary shows examining the Robards case excluded mention of the name of the chemical.

Barium acetate was featured in a 2014 episode of the crime documentary series Redrum.

Barium acetate was named as the choice poison of a teen's murder of her father in an episode of Deadly Women.^{[citation needed]}