Synthesis and Reactions
Hydrated copper nitrate can be prepared by hydration of the anhydrous material or by treating copper metal with an aqueous solution of silver nitrate or concentrated nitric acid:
- Cu + 4 HNO3 → Cu(NO3)2 + 2 H2O + 2 NO2
Anhydrous Cu(NO3)2 forms when copper metal is treated with N2O4:
- Cu + 2 N2O4 → Cu(NO3)2 + 2 NO
Attempted dehydration of any of the hydrated copper(II) nitrates by heating instead affords the oxides, not Cu(NO3)2. At 80 °C, the hydrates convert to "basic copper nitrate" (Cu2(NO3)(OH)3), which converts to CuO at 180 °C. Exploiting this reactivity, copper nitrate can be used to generate nitric acid by heating it until decomposition and passing the fumes directly into water. This method is similar to the last step in the Ostwald process. The equations are as follows:
- 2 Cu(NO3)2 → 2 CuO + 4 NO2 + O2
- 3NO2 + H2O → 2HNO3 + NO
Read more about this topic: Copper(II) Nitrate
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