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Metal Oxide

Introduction to metal oxideMetal oxides are ionic compounds that have in their formula a metal combined with oxygen.

Methods of Preparation and acid-base characteristics of metal oxides:

  1. Oxidation of metals results in the formation of metal oxides.

Metals of group I of the periodic table, also called alkali metals, burn readily in an atmosphere of oxygen to form metal oxides that are soluble in water forming basic solutions called alkali. The metals of group II also burn in oxygen to form oxides that dissolve in water forming alkaline solutions although the degree of solublility of MgO and CaO in water are considerably less in comparison to either the alkali metal oxides or BaO and SrO.  MgO is an efficient moisture absorbent used by many libraries for preserving books.  BaO, another alkaline metal oxide reacts with water to form barium hydroxide.

    BaO + H2O → Ba(OH)2

Water-insoluble metal oxides dissolve in acid:
The H+of acid reacts with the oxide ion to produce H2O.  This releases the metal ion from the solid
The oxide ion is too powerful a base to exist in aqueous solution.
Example: Fe2O3(s)+6H+(aq)→2Fe3+(aq)+3H2O

Metals belonging to the transition group of the periodic table like iron, copper, zinc, and nickel take much longer to get oxidized but their powdered forms do burn in oxygen to produce metal oxides. The noble metals like palladium, platinum and gold, do not react with the atmosphere at all. Metals such as aluminium and titanium do not burn or completely react with oxygen but they form an oxide film or a barrier of oxide on their surface that prevents the further interaction of oxygen with the remaining metal and thus helping the metal to retain its shiny appearance and conductivity for a long time.

2.  The metal oxides are also readily formed from their respective hydroxides by the process of calcination.


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Characteristics of metal oxides and their application:
The nature of metal oxides is basic in characteristic. The other important characteristics are their redox characteristics and ability to act as efficient catalysts.

The three aspects of transition metal oxides that are the cause for their application in catalysis are:
•    The coordination environment of surface atoms
•    The redox properties of the oxide and
•    The oxidation state of the surface.

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