Indium(III) hydroxide

Indium(III) hydroxide
Names
	IUPAC name Indium(III) hydroxide
	Other names Indium hydroxide, indium trihydroxide
Identifiers
CAS Number	20661-21-6 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ECHA InfoCard	100.039.937
EC Number	243-947-7;
PubChem CID	88636;
UNII	09J170CMXV ;
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID2074825 ;
	InChI InChI=1S/In.3H2O/h;3*1H2/q+3;;;/p-3 Key: IGUXCTSQIGAGSV-UHFFFAOYSA-K;
	SMILES [OH-].[OH-].[OH-].[In+3];
Properties
Chemical formula	In(OH)3
Molar mass	165.8404 g/mol
Appearance	White solid
Density	4.38 g/cm3
Melting point	150 °C (302 °F; 423 K) (decomposes)
Solubility in water	insoluble
Refractive index (nD)	1.725
Structure
Crystal structure	cubic
Space group	Im3
Coordination geometry	octahedral
Hazards
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	2 0 1
Related compounds
Related compounds	Boric acid; Aluminium hydroxide; Gallium hydroxide; Thallium(III) hydroxide;
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa). Infobox references

Indium(III) hydroxide is the chemical compound with the formula In(O H)₃. Its prime use is as a precursor to indium(III) oxide, In₂O₃.^[1] It is sometimes found as the rare mineral dzhalindite.

Structure

Indium(III) hydroxide has a cubic structure, space group Im3, a distorted ReO₃ structure.^[2]^[3]

Preparation and reactions

Neutralizing a solution containing an In³⁺ salt such as indium nitrate (In(NO₃)₃) or a solution of indium trichloride (InCl₃) gives a white precipitate that on aging forms indium(III) hydroxide.^[4]^[5] A thermal decomposition of freshly prepared In(OH)₃ shows the first step is the conversion of In(OH)₃·xH₂O to cubic indium(III) hydroxide.^[4] The precipitation of indium hydroxide was a step in the separation of indium from zincblende ore by Reich and Richter, the discoverers of indium.^[6]

Indium(III) hydroxide is amphoteric, like gallium(III) hydroxide (Ga(OH)₃) and aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH)₃), but is much less acidic than gallium hydroxide (Ga(OH)₃),^[5] having a lower solubility in alkaline solutions than in acid solutions.^[7] It is for all intents and purposes a basic hydroxide.^[8]

Dissolving indium(III) hydroxide in strong alkali gives solutions that probably contain either four coordinate [In(OH)₄]⁻ or [In(OH)₄(H₂O)]⁻.^[8]

Reaction with acetic acid or carboxylic acids is likely to give the basic acetate or carboxylate salt, e.g. (CH₃COO)₂In(OH).^[7]

At 10 MPa pressure and 250-400 °C, indium(III) hydroxide converts to indium oxide hydroxide (InO(OH)), which has a distorted rutile structure.^[5]

Rapid decompression of samples of indium(III) hydroxide compressed at 34 GPa causes decomposition, yielding some indium metal.^[9]

Laser ablation of indium(III) hydroxide gives indium(I) hydroxide (InOH), a bent molecule with an In-O-H angle of around 132° and an In-O bond length of 201.7 pm.^[10]

References

^ Simon Aldridge, Anthony J. Downs (2011). The Group 13 Metals Aluminium, Gallium, Indium and Thallium: Chemical Patterns and Peculiarities. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-68191-6.
^ A Norlund Christensen, N.C. Broch (1967). "Hydrothermal Investigation of the systems In2O3-H2O-Na2O and In2O3-D2O-Na2O. The crystal structure of rhombohedral In₂O₃ and In(OH)₃". Acta Chemica Scandinavica. 21: 1046–1056. doi:10.3891/acta.chem.scand.21-1046.
^ Wells A.F. (1984). Structural Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed.). Oxford Science Publications. ISBN 0-19-855370-6.
^ ^a ^b Sato, T. (2005). "Preparation and thermal decomposition of indium hydroxide". Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 82 (3): 775–782. doi:10.1007/s10973-005-0963-4. ISSN 1388-6150. S2CID 195329927.
^ ^a ^b ^c Egon Wiberg, Arnold Frederick Holleman (2001). Inorganic Chemistry. Elsevier. ISBN 0123526515.
^ Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. Vol. I (31st ed.). Krishna Prakashan Media. 2008. ISBN 9788187224037.
^ ^a ^b George K. Schweitzer, Lester L. Pesterfield (2009). The Aqueous Chemistry of the Elements. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195393354.
^ ^a ^b Anthony John Downs (1993). Chemistry of aluminium, gallium, indium, and thallium. Springer. ISBN 0-7514-0103-X.
^ Gurlo, Aleksander; Dzivenko, Dmytro; Andrade, Miria; Riedel, Ralf; Lauterbach, Stefan; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim (2010). "Pressure-Induced Decomposition of Indium Hydroxide". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 132 (36): 12674–12678. doi:10.1021/ja104278p. ISSN 0002-7863. PMID 20731389.
^ Lakin, Nicholas M.; Varberg, Thomas D.; Brown, John M. (1997). "The Detection of Lines in the Microwave Spectrum of Indium Hydroxide, InOH, and Its Isotopomers". Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy. 183 (1): 34–41. Bibcode:1997JMoSp.183...34L. doi:10.1006/jmsp.1996.7237. ISSN 0022-2852.

[1] Simon Aldridge, Anthony J. Downs (2011). The Group 13 Metals Aluminium, Gallium, Indium and Thallium: Chemical Patterns and Peculiarities. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-68191-6.

[2] A Norlund Christensen, N.C. Broch (1967). "Hydrothermal Investigation of the systems In2O3-H2O-Na2O and In2O3-D2O-Na2O. The crystal structure of rhombohedral In₂O₃ and In(OH)₃". Acta Chemica Scandinavica. 21: 1046–1056. doi:10.3891/acta.chem.scand.21-1046.

[3] Wells A.F. (1984). Structural Inorganic Chemistry (5th ed.). Oxford Science Publications. ISBN 0-19-855370-6.

[Sato2005-4] Sato, T. (2005). "Preparation and thermal decomposition of indium hydroxide". Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry. 82 (3): 775–782. doi:10.1007/s10973-005-0963-4. ISSN 1388-6150. S2CID 195329927.

[Wiberg&Holleman-5] Egon Wiberg, Arnold Frederick Holleman (2001). Inorganic Chemistry. Elsevier. ISBN 0123526515.

[6] Advanced Inorganic Chemistry. Vol. I (31st ed.). Krishna Prakashan Media. 2008. ISBN 9788187224037.

[Schweitzer&Pesterfield-7] George K. Schweitzer, Lester L. Pesterfield (2009). The Aqueous Chemistry of the Elements. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195393354.

[downs-8] Anthony John Downs (1993). Chemistry of aluminium, gallium, indium, and thallium. Springer. ISBN 0-7514-0103-X.

[GurloDzivenko2010-9] Gurlo, Aleksander; Dzivenko, Dmytro; Andrade, Miria; Riedel, Ralf; Lauterbach, Stefan; Kleebe, Hans-Joachim (2010). "Pressure-Induced Decomposition of Indium Hydroxide". Journal of the American Chemical Society. 132 (36): 12674–12678. doi:10.1021/ja104278p. ISSN 0002-7863. PMID 20731389.

[LakinVarberg1997-10] Lakin, Nicholas M.; Varberg, Thomas D.; Brown, John M. (1997). "The Detection of Lines in the Microwave Spectrum of Indium Hydroxide, InOH, and Its Isotopomers". Journal of Molecular Spectroscopy. 183 (1): 34–41. Bibcode:1997JMoSp.183...34L. doi:10.1006/jmsp.1996.7237. ISSN 0022-2852.

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