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Lithium selenate

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Lithium selenate
Names
Other names
Dilithium selenate
Identifiers
ECHA InfoCard 100.036.046 Edit this at Wikidata
EC Number
  • 239-668-5
Properties
Li2SeO4
Molar mass 156.84 g/mol
Appearance Colorless crystals
Density 2.99 g/cm3
Soluble in water
Structure
Trigonal
R3, No. 148
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Lithium selenate is an inorganic compound of lithium and the selenate ion, with the chemical formula Li2SeO4. It is a colorless, water-soluble crystalline salt. It forms a well-characterized monohydrate, Li2SeO4·H2O, which is a polar and pyroelectric crystal.[1][2]

Preparation

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Lithium selenate can be prepared by neutralizing selenic acid with lithium carbonate:

Li2CO3 + H2SeO4 → Li2SeO4 + CO2↑ + H2O

Crystallization from aqueous solution generally gives the hydrated salt. Large single crystals of the monohydrate have been grown from aqueous solution at about 343 K.[2]

Properties

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Structure

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Anhydrous Li2SeO4 crystallizes in the trigonal crystal system, in space group R3 (No. 148). Its crystal structure was refined by Pertlik and Fuith in 1989.[3]

The structure consists of isolated SeO42− tetrahedra connected through lithium–oxygen coordination polyhedra.[3]

Monohydrate

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Lithium selenate monohydrate, Li2SeO4·H2O, crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21 (No. 4). At room temperature its lattice parameters are approximately a = 5.580 Å, b = 5.028 Å, c = 8.452 Å and β = 107.63°, with two formula units per unit cell.[1]

It is isostructural with lithium sulfate monohydrate. The crystal structure contains LiO4 and LiO3(H2O) tetrahedra together with SeO4 tetrahedra. These share oxygen vertices to form a three-dimensional framework.[1]

Because space group P21 is polar, the monohydrate is pyroelectric. Its pyroelectric coefficient and thermal expansion have been measured between approximately 183 and 343 K.[2]

The crystal is also optically anisotropic. Refractive indices have been measured over wavelengths from 365 to 1530 nm, and calculations indicate that Li2SeO4·H2O permits both type-I and type-II phase matching for second-harmonic generation from wavelengths of roughly 650 nm into the near-infrared.[2]

Thermal behaviour

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Hydrated lithium selenate loses water on heating. Thermogravimetric studies of hydrated samples found dehydration mainly between about 120 and 250 °C.[4]

At still higher temperature, molten Li2SeO4 is progressively reduced to lithium selenite, Li2SeO3, between approximately 650 and 850 °C.[4]

Li2SeO4 → Li2SeO3 + 1⁄2 O2

Above about 900 °C, further mass loss occurs through decomposition and volatilization of the selenite; lithium oxide remains among the final solid products.[4]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 Johnston, Magnus G.; Harrison, William T. A. (2003). "Dilithium selenate hydrate, Li2SeO4·H2O". Acta Crystallographica Section E. 59: i25–i27. doi:10.1107/S1600536803002526.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Becker, Petra; Ahrweiler, S.; Held, Peter; Schneeberger, Helmut; Bohatý, Ladislav (2003). "Thermal expansion, pyroelectricity and linear optical properties of Li2SeO4·H2O and Li2SO4·H2O". Crystal Research and Technology. 38 (10): 881–889. doi:10.1002/crat.200310107.
  3. 1 2 Pertlik, F.; Fuith, A. H. (1989). "Structure of dilithium selenate(VI)". Acta Crystallographica Section C. 45: 158–159. doi:10.1107/S0108270188009795.
  4. 1 2 3 Ionashiro, M.; Giolito, I. (1980). "Thermal decomposition of the alkali metal selenates". Thermochimica Acta. 40: 143–148. doi:10.1016/0040-6031(80)85042-8.