Copper(II) chloride

Copper(II) chloride, also known as cupric chloride, is a chemical compound. Its chemical formula is CuCl₂. It contains copper in its +2 oxidation state. It also contains two chloride ions.

Copper(II) chloride

Anhydrous
Anhydrous
Dihydrate
Names
Other names Cupric chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	7447-39-4 Y 10125-13-0 (dihydrate) N
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:49553 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL1200553 N
ChemSpider	148374 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.028.373
PubChem CID	24014
RTECS number	GL7000000
UNII	P484053J2Yvaygmstmsyms Y
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID7040449
SMILES Cl[Cu]Cl [Cu+2].[Cl-].[Cl-]
Properties
Chemical formula	CuCl2
Molar mass	134.45 g/mol (anhydrous) 170.48 g/mol (dihydrate)
Appearance	yellow-brown solid (anhydrous) blue-green solid (dihydrate)
Odor	odorless
Density	3.386 g/cm3 (anhydrous) 2.51 g/cm3 (dihydrate)
Melting point	498 °C (928 °F; 771 K) (anhydrous) 100 °C (dehydration of dihydrate)
Boiling point	993 °C (1,819 °F; 1,266 K) (anhydrous, decomposes)
Solubility in water	70.6 g/100 mL (0 °C) 75.7 g/100 mL (25 °C) 107.9 g/100 mL (100 °C)
Solubility	methanol: 68 g/100 mL (15 °C) ethanol: 53 g/100 mL (15 °C) soluble in acetone
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	+1080·10−6 cm3/mol
Structure
Crystal structure	distorted CdI2 structure
Coordination geometry	Octahedral
Hazards
EU classification	Not listed
NFPA 704	0 2 1
Flash point	Non-flammable
U.S. Permissible exposure limit (PEL)	TWA 1 mg/m3 (as Cu)[1]
Related compounds
Other anions	{{{value}}}
Other cations	{{{value}}}
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
Infobox references

Properties

Copper(II) chloride is light brown when anhydrous. It is green when hydrated. It is a weak oxidizing agent. It reacts with aluminium foil to make hydrogen, copper(I) oxide, and aluminium chloride. This is used in school demonstrations. It releases chlorine and turns into copper(I) chloride when heated very hot. It reacts with sodium hydroxide to make copper(II) hydroxide. Copper(II) chloride reacts with metals to make metal chlorides and copper. It puts out blue flames if it is heated in a flame. It reacts with sulfur dioxide to make copper(I) chloride. It dissolves in water to make a blue solution. When more chloride is added, it turns green, then yellow.^[2]

Preparation

Crystals of copper(II) chloride in a container

It is made by reacting copper with chlorine. It can also be made by reacting copper(II) hydroxide, copper(II) oxide, or copper(II) carbonate with hydrochloric acid and from pure copper and from 1:1 solution of hydrogen peroxide and hydrochloric acid where copper first get oxidized to CuO from H2O2 and then reacts with HCl to form CuCl2, reaction goes like this:

Cu + H₂O₂ → CuO + H₂O

CuO + 2HCl → CuCl₂ + H₂O

^[3]

Uses

Copper(II) chloride is used to make fungicides. It is also used to make organic compounds. It is also used to make acetaldehyde from ethane. ^[4]

Safety

It is toxic, with toxicity similar to copper sulfate It is therefore harmful. ^[5]

Related pages

• Copper(I) chloride
• Copper(I) acetylide