Sodium perchlorate


Sodium perchlorate is the inorganic compound with the chemical formula NaClO4. It is a white crystalline, hygroscopic solid that is highly soluble in water and in alcohol. It is usually encountered as the monohydrate. The compound is noteworthy as the most water-soluble of the common perchlorate salts.
Sodium perchlorate is present on the planet Mars.

Selected properties

Its heat of formation is −382.75 kJ/mol, i.e. it is favorable for it to decompose into sodium chloride and dioxygen. It crystallizes in the rhombic crystal system.

Uses

Sodium perchlorate is the precursor to many other perchlorate salts, often taking advantage of their low solubility relative to NaClO4. Perchloric acid is made by treating NaClO4 with HCl.
Ammonium and potassium perchlorate, of interest in pyrotechnics, are prepared by double decomposition from a solution of sodium perchlorate and potassium or ammonium chlorides.

Laboratory applications

Solutions of NaClO4 are often used as an unreactive electrolyte. It is used in standard DNA extraction and hybridization reactions in molecular biology.

In medicine

Sodium perchlorate can be used to block iodine uptake before administration of iodinated contrast agents in patients with subclinical hyperthyroidism.

In animal training

Sodium perchlorate may also be used as a material to train canines to detect bomb materials.

Production

Sodium perchlorate is produced by anodic oxidation of sodium chlorate at an inert electrode, such as platinum.
ClO3− + H2O → ClO4− + 2H+ + 2 e−
ClO3− + 2 OH− → ClO4− + H2O + 2 e−

Safety

is 2 – 4 g/kg.