Experiment II
Object
• Preparation of Sodiumtrioxalatoferrate (III)
• The compound is a salt consisting of ferrioxalate anions ,
[Fe(C2O4)3]3−, and sodium cations Na+.
• The anion is a transition metal complex consisting of
an iron atom in the +3 oxidation state and
three bidentate oxalate ions C2O2−4 anions acting as ligands.
• The ferrioxalate anion is sensitive to light and higherenergy electromagnetic radiation, which causes the
decomposition of one oxalate to carbon dioxide CO2 and
reduction of the iron(III) atom to iron(II).
• This compound is very soluble in hot water, (182 parts per
100 parts solvent by mass), but a lot less soluble in cold
water, (32 parts per 100 parts solvent), about the solubility
of sodium chloride. It is not appreciably soluble in ethanol
or ethanol water mixtures which are more than 50%
ethanol by mass. It is somewhat more soluble in water than
the corresponding potassium salt.