Lithium chloride

Lithium chloride
	; __ Li+ __ Cl−
Names
	Preferred IUPAC name Lithium chloride
	Systematic IUPAC name Lithium(1+) chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	7447-41-8 ;
3D model (JSmol)	Interactive image;
ChEBI	CHEBI:48607 ;
ChEMBL	ChEMBL69710 ;
ChemSpider	22449 ;
ECHA InfoCard	100.028.375
EC Number	231-212-3;
MeSH	Lithium+chloride
PubChem CID	433294;
RTECS number	OJ5950000;
UNII	G4962QA067 ;
UN number	2056
CompTox Dashboard (EPA)	DTXSID2025509 ;
	show InChI
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Properties
Chemical formula	LiCl
Molar mass	42.39 g·mol−1
Appearance	white solid ; hygroscopic, sharp
Density	2.068 g/cm3
Melting point	605–614 °C (1,121–1,137 °F; 878–887 K)
Boiling point	1,382 °C (2,520 °F; 1,655 K)
Solubility in water	68.29 g/100 mL (0 °C); 74.48 g/100 mL (10 °C); 84.25 g/100 mL (25 °C); 88.7 g/100 mL (40 °C); 123.44 g/100 mL (100 °C)
Solubility	soluble in hydrazine, methylformamide, butanol, selenium(IV) oxychloride, propanol
Solubility in methanol	45.2 g/100 g (0 °C); 43.8 g/100 g (20 °C); 42.36 g/100 g (25 °C); 44.6 g/100 g (60 °C)
Solubility in ethanol	14.42 g/100 g (0 °C); 24.28 g/100 g (20 °C); 25.1 g/100 g (30 °C); 23.46 g/100 g (60 °C)
Solubility in formic acid	26.6 g/100 g (18 °C); 27.5 g/100 g (25 °C)
Solubility in acetone	1.2 g/100 g (20 °C); 0.83 g/100 g (25 °C); 0.61 g/100 g (50 °C)
Solubility in liquid ammonia	0.54 g/100 g (-34 °C); 3.02 g/100 g (25 °C)
Vapor pressure	1 torr (785 °C); 10 torr (934 °C); 100 torr (1130 °C)
Magnetic susceptibility (χ)	−24.3·10−6 cm3/mol
Refractive index (nD)	1.662 (24 °C)
Viscosity	0.87 cP (807 °C)
Structure
Coordination geometry	Octahedral
Molecular shape	Linear (gas)
Dipole moment	7.13 D (gas)
Thermochemistry
Heat capacity (C)	48.03 J/mol·K
Std molar; entropy (So298)	59.31 J/mol·K
Std enthalpy of; formation (ΔfH⦵298)	-408.27 kJ/mol
Gibbs free energy (ΔfG˚)	-384 kJ/mol
Hazards
Safety data sheet	See: data page; ICSC 0711
GHS pictograms
GHS Signal word	Warning
GHS hazard statements	H302, H315, H319, H335
GHS precautionary statements	P261, P305+351+338
NFPA 704 (fire diamond)	2 0 0
Flash point	Non-flammable
	Lethal dose or concentration (LD, LC):
LD50 (median dose)	526 mg/kg (oral, rat)
Related compounds
Other anions	Lithium fluoride; Lithium bromide; Lithium iodide;
Other cations	Sodium chloride; Potassium chloride; Rubidium chloride; Caesium chloride;
Supplementary data page
Structure and; properties	Refractive index (n),; Dielectric constant (εr), etc.
Thermodynamic; data	Phase behaviour; solid–liquid–gas
Spectral data	UV, IR, NMR, MS
	Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
	(what is ?)
	Infobox references

Lithium chloride is a chemical compound with the formula LiCl. The salt is a typical ionic compound (with certain covalent characters) , although the small size of the Li⁺ ion gives rise to properties not seen for other alkali metal chlorides, such as extraordinary solubility in polar solvents (83.05 g/100 mL of water at 20 °C) and its hygroscopic properties.^[5]

Chemical properties[]

Color produced when lithium chloride is heated

The salt forms crystalline hydrates, unlike the other alkali metal chlorides.^[6] Mono-, tri-, and pentahydrates are known.^[7] The anhydrous salt can be regenerated by heating the hydrates. LiCl also absorbs up to four equivalents of ammonia/mol. As with any other ionic chloride, solutions of lithium chloride can serve as a source of chloride ion, e.g., forming a precipitate upon treatment with silver nitrate:

LiCl + AgNO₃ → AgCl + LiNO₃

Preparation[]

Lithium chloride is produced by treatment of lithium carbonate with hydrochloric acid.^[5] Anhydrous LiCl is prepared from the hydrate by heating in a stream of hydrogen chloride.

Uses[]

Commercial applications[]

Lithium chloride is mainly used for the production of lithium metal by electrolysis of a LiCl/KCl melt at 450 °C (842 °F). LiCl is also used as a brazing flux for aluminium in automobile parts. It is used as a desiccant for drying air streams.^[5] In more specialized applications, lithium chloride finds some use in organic synthesis, e.g., as an additive in the Stille reaction. Also, in biochemical applications, it can be used to precipitate RNA from cellular extracts.^[8]

Lithium chloride is also used as a flame colorant to produce dark red flames.

Niche uses[]

Lithium chloride is used as a relative humidity standard in the calibration of hygrometers. At 25 °C (77 °F) a saturated solution (45.8%) of the salt will yield an equilibrium relative humidity of 11.30%. Additionally, lithium chloride can itself be used as a hygrometer. This deliquescent salt forms a self-solution when exposed to air. The equilibrium LiCl concentration in the resulting solution is directly related to the relative humidity of the air. The percent relative humidity at 25 °C (77 °F) can be estimated, with minimal error in the range 10–30 °C (50–86 °F), from the following first order equation: RH=107.93-2.11C, where C is solution LiCl concentration, percent by mass.

Molten LiCl is used for the preparation of carbon nanotubes,^[9] graphene^[10] and lithium niobate.^[11]

Lithium chloride has been shown to have strong acaricidal properties, being effective against Varroa destructor in populations of honey bees.^[12]

Lithium chloride is used as an aversive agent in lab animals to study conditioned place preference and aversion.

Precautions[]

Lithium salts affect the central nervous system in a variety of ways. While the citrate, carbonate, and orotate salts are currently used to treat bipolar disorder, other lithium salts including the chloride were used in the past. For a short time in the 1940s lithium chloride was manufactured as a salt substitute, but this was prohibited after the toxic effects of the compound (tremors, fatigue, nausea) were recognized.^[13]^[14]^[15]

References[]

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l lithium chloride
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b Seidell, Atherton; Linke, William F. (1952). Solubilities of Inorganic and Organic Compounds. Van Nostrand. Retrieved 2014-06-02.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Sigma-Aldrich Co., Lithium chloride. Retrieved on 2014-05-09.
^ ChemIDplus - 7447-41-8 - KWGKDLIKAYFUFQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M - Lithium chloride - Similar structures search, synonyms, formulas, resource links, and other chemical information
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Wietelmann, Ulrich; Bauer, Richard J. (2005). "Lithium and Lithium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a15_393.
^ Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. Inorganic Chemistry Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.
^ Hönnerscheid Andreas; Nuss Jürgen; Mühle Claus; Jansen Martin (2003). "Die Kristallstrukturen der Monohydrate von Lithiumchlorid und Lithiumbromid". Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie. 629 (2): 312–316. doi:10.1002/zaac.200390049.
^ Cathala, G.; Savouret, J.; Mendez, B.; West, B. L.; Karin, M.; Martial, J. A.; Baxter, J. D. (1983). "A Method for Isolation of Intact, Translationally Active Ribonucleic Acid". DNA. 2 (4): 329–335. doi:10.1089/dna.1983.2.329. PMID 6198133.
^ Kamali, Ali Reza; Fray, Derek J. (2014). "Towards large scale preparation of carbon nanostructures in molten LiCl". Carbon. 77: 835–845. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2014.05.089.
^ Kamali, Ali Reza; Fray, Derek J. (2015). "Large-scale preparation of graphene by high temperature insertion of hydrogen into graphite" (PDF). Nanoscale. 7 (26): 11310–11320. doi:10.1039/c5nr01132a. PMID 26053881.
^ Kamali, Ali Reza; Fray, Derek J. (2014). "Preparation of lithium niobate particles via reactive molten salt synthesis method". Ceramics International. 40: 1835–1841. doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.07.085.
^ Ziegelmann, Bettina; Abele, Elisabeth (January 12, 2018). "Lithium chloride effectively kills the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor by a systemic mode of action". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 683. Bibcode:2018NatSR...8..683Z. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-19137-5. PMC 5766531. PMID 29330449.
^ Talbott J. H. (1950). "Use of lithium salts as a substitute for sodium chloride". Arch Intern Med. 85 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1001/archinte.1950.00230070023001. PMID 15398859.
^ L. J. Stone; M. luton; J. Gilroy (1949). "Lithium Chloride as a Substitute for Sodium Chloride in the Diet". Journal of the American Medical Association. 139 (11): 688–692. doi:10.1001/jama.1949.02900280004002. PMID 18128981.
^ "Case of trie Substitute Salt". Time. 28 February 1949. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007.

Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, 71st edition, CRC Press, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 1990.
N. N. Greenwood, A. Earnshaw, Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd ed., Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, UK, 1997.
R. Vatassery, titration analysis of LiCl, sat'd in Ethanol by AgNO₃ to precipitate AgCl(s). EP of this titration gives %Cl by mass.
H. Nechamkin, The Chemistry of the Elements, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1968.

External links[]

[1]

[chemister-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l lithium chloride

[sioc-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b Seidell, Atherton; Linke, William F. (1952). Solubilities of Inorganic and Organic Compounds. Van Nostrand. Retrieved 2014-06-02.

[sigma-3] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Sigma-Aldrich Co., Lithium chloride. Retrieved on 2014-05-09.

[4] ChemIDplus - 7447-41-8 - KWGKDLIKAYFUFQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M - Lithium chloride - Similar structures search, synonyms, formulas, resource links, and other chemical information

[Ullmann-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c Wietelmann, Ulrich; Bauer, Richard J. (2005). "Lithium and Lithium Compounds". Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. doi:10.1002/14356007.a15_393.

[6] Holleman, A. F.; Wiberg, E. Inorganic Chemistry Academic Press: San Diego, 2001. ISBN 0-12-352651-5.

[7] Hönnerscheid Andreas; Nuss Jürgen; Mühle Claus; Jansen Martin (2003). "Die Kristallstrukturen der Monohydrate von Lithiumchlorid und Lithiumbromid". Zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine Chemie. 629 (2): 312–316. doi:10.1002/zaac.200390049.

[8] Cathala, G.; Savouret, J.; Mendez, B.; West, B. L.; Karin, M.; Martial, J. A.; Baxter, J. D. (1983). "A Method for Isolation of Intact, Translationally Active Ribonucleic Acid". DNA. 2 (4): 329–335. doi:10.1089/dna.1983.2.329. PMID 6198133.

[9] Kamali, Ali Reza; Fray, Derek J. (2014). "Towards large scale preparation of carbon nanostructures in molten LiCl". Carbon. 77: 835–845. doi:10.1016/j.carbon.2014.05.089.

[10] Kamali, Ali Reza; Fray, Derek J. (2015). "Large-scale preparation of graphene by high temperature insertion of hydrogen into graphite" (PDF). Nanoscale. 7 (26): 11310–11320. doi:10.1039/c5nr01132a. PMID 26053881.

[11] Kamali, Ali Reza; Fray, Derek J. (2014). "Preparation of lithium niobate particles via reactive molten salt synthesis method". Ceramics International. 40: 1835–1841. doi:10.1016/j.ceramint.2013.07.085.

[12] Ziegelmann, Bettina; Abele, Elisabeth (January 12, 2018). "Lithium chloride effectively kills the honey bee parasite Varroa destructor by a systemic mode of action". Scientific Reports. 8 (1): 683. Bibcode:2018NatSR...8..683Z. doi:10.1038/s41598-017-19137-5. PMC 5766531. PMID 29330449.

[13] Talbott J. H. (1950). "Use of lithium salts as a substitute for sodium chloride". Arch Intern Med. 85 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1001/archinte.1950.00230070023001. PMID 15398859.

[14] L. J. Stone; M. luton; J. Gilroy (1949). "Lithium Chloride as a Substitute for Sodium Chloride in the Diet". Journal of the American Medical Association. 139 (11): 688–692. doi:10.1001/jama.1949.02900280004002. PMID 18128981.

[15] "Case of trie Substitute Salt". Time. 28 February 1949. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007.

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Others	Ketamine Lithium (lithium acetate, lithium carbonate, lithium chloride, lithium citrate, lithium hydroxide, lithium orotate) Omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid)

show v t Lithium compounds
Inorganic	Li₂ LiB(C₆F₅)₄ LiCF₃SO₃ LiCH₃O LiAlCl₄ LiAlH₄ LiAlO₂ LiBF₄ LiBH₄ LiBO₂ LiB₃O₅ Li₂B₄O₇ LiBr LiCN Li₂CO₃ Li₂C₂ LiCl LiClO LiClO₃ LiClO₄ LiCoO₂ LiF FLiBe FLiNaK LiFePO₄ (LFP) LiGaH₄ Li₂GeF₆ LiH LiHe LiHCO₃ LiI LiIO₃ Li₂IrO₃ Li₇La₃Zr₂O₁₂ Li₂MoO₄ Li _0.9Mo ₆O ₁₇ LiNH₂ Li₂NH LiN₃ Li₃N LiNO₂ LiNO₃ LiNbO₃ LiO⁻ LiOH LiO₂ Li₂C₂O₄ Li₂O Li₂O₂ LiPF₆ Li₂PtO₃ Li₂Po Li₂RuO₃ Li₂S Li₂Se Li₄SiO₄ Li₂SO₃ Li₂SO₄ Li₂SiO₃ Li₂Si₂O₅ LiTaO₃ Li₂TiO₃ Li₂WO₄ LiYF₄ Neodymium-doped CLBO CsLiB₆O₁₀ LAGPO
Organic	Hemolithin (protein) naphthalene (Li⁺C₁₀H₈⁻) Methyllithium CH₃Li tert-Butyllithium (CH₃)₃CLi n-Butyllithium C₄H₉Li n-Hexyllithium C₆H₁₃Li sec-Butyllithium CH₃CHLiCH₂CH₃ cyclopentadienide C₅H₅Li Neopentyllithium C₅H₁₁Li Phenyllithium C₆H₅Li Propynyllithium LiC ₂CH ₃ Vinyllithium LiC₂H₃ diphenylphosphide (C₆H₅)₂PLi tetramethylpiperidide C₉H₁₈LiN LiTFSI LiC₂F₆NO₄S₂ Superhydride LiEt₃BH LiHMDS LiN(SiMe₃)₂ 12-hydroxystearate C₁₈H₃₅LiO₃ acetate CH₃COOLi aspartate C₄H₆LiNO₄ citrate Li₃C₆H₅O₇ diisopropylamide LiN(C₃H₇)₂ orotate C₅H₃LiN₂O₄ succinate C₄H₅LiO₄ stearate LiO₂C(CH₂)₁₆CH₃ tert-butoxide LiOC(CH₃)₃ organolithiums Gilman reagent n-Butyllithium
Minerals	Amblygonite Elbaite Eucryptite Faizievite Fluor-liddicoatite Hectorite Jadarite Lepidolite Lithiophilite Lithiophosphate Nambulite Neptunite Petalite Pezzottaite Saliotite Spodumene Sugilite Tourmaline Triphylite LiFePO₄ Zabuyelite Zektzerite Zinnwaldite
Hypothetical	Lithium beryllide
Miscellaneous	Aluminium–lithium alloys Heteroatom-promoted lateral lithiation LB buffer Lithium nickel cobalt aluminium oxides Lithium nickel manganese cobalt oxides Lithium soap Lucifer yellow Magnesium–lithium alloys NASICON

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