- Source: Polonium tetranitrate
Polonium tetranitrate is an inorganic compound, a salt of polonium and nitric acid with the chemical formula Po(NO3)4. The compound is radioactive, forms white crystals.
Synthesis
Dissolution of metallic polonium in concentrated nitric acid:
P
o
+
8
H
N
O
3
→
P
o
(
N
O
3
)
4
+
4
N
O
2
↑
+
4
H
2
O
{\displaystyle {\mathsf {Po+8HNO_{3}\ {\xrightarrow {}}\ Po(NO_{3})_{4}+4NO_{2}\uparrow +4H_{2}O}}}
Physical properties
Polonium(IV) nitrate forms white or colorless crystals. It dissolves in water with hydrolysis.
Chemical properties
It disproportionates in aqueous weakly acidic nitric acid solutions:
2
P
o
(
N
O
3
)
4
+
2
H
2
O
→
P
o
O
2
(
N
O
3
)
2
↓
+
P
o
2
+
+
2
N
O
3
−
+
4
H
N
O
3
{\displaystyle {\mathsf {2Po(NO_{3})_{4}+2H_{2}O\ \xrightarrow {} \ PoO_{2}(NO_{3})_{2}\downarrow +Po^{2+}+2NO_{3}^{-}+4HNO_{3}}}}
The polonium(II) ion (Po2+) is then oxidized by nitric acid to polonium(IV).
