Barium acetate

Barium acetate ([Barium|Ba]₂) is the salt of barium(II) and acetic acid. It is used in chemistry and manufacturing as a soluble source of barium and is toxic to humans.

Barium acetate^[1]

Powdered Anhydrous Barium Acetate
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/c21-2(3)4;/h21H3,(H,3,4);/q;;+2/p-2 Y Key: ITHZDDVSAWDQPZ-UHFFFAOYSA-L Y InChI=1/2C2H4O2.Ba/c21-2(3)4;/h21H3,(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)	921 mg/kg (oral, rat).[2][3]
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:^[4]

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:^[4]

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.

Reactions

Barium acetate can be used in metathesis reactions.

When heated in air, barium acetate decomposes to the carbonate.^{[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 teenaged daughter (Marie Robards). That episode and other crime documentaries about the Robards do not name 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]}