Roussin's red salt

Roussin's Red Salt is an inorganic compound with the formula Fe4S3(NO)7. It is a red crystalline material that is soluble in water. It is one of the many known iron nitrosyl compounds. The compound is named after the French chemist Eugène Roussin, who first described it in 1858.

History

Eugène Roussin first prepared Roussin's Red Salt in 1858 by the reaction of iron(II) sulfate with sodium nitrite in the presence of sulfuric acid. The compound was named in his honor.

Structure

Roussin's Red Salt is a cluster compound with a cubane-like core structure. The core consists of four iron atoms and three sulfur atoms arranged in a cube, with one face missing. Each iron atom is bonded to a nitrosyl group.

Preparation

Roussin's Red Salt can be prepared by the reaction of iron(II) sulfate with sodium nitrite in the presence of sulfuric acid. The reaction proceeds via the formation of nitric oxide, which reacts with the iron(II) sulfate to form the nitrosyl complex.

Properties

Roussin's Red Salt is a red crystalline material that is soluble in water. It is stable under normal conditions, but decomposes upon heating. The compound exhibits paramagnetism, which is characteristic of compounds with unpaired electrons.

Applications

Roussin's Red Salt has been used as a reagent in the synthesis of other iron nitrosyl compounds. It has also been used as a nitric oxide donor in biological studies.

See also

• Roussin's Black Salt
• Iron nitrosyl compound
• Eugène Roussin

References

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