Zinc nitrate
Zinc nitrate is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula Zn2. This white, crystalline solid is highly deliquescent and is typically encountered as a hexahydrate Zn2•6H2O. It is soluble in both water and alcohol.Synthesis and reactions
Zinc nitrate is usually prepared by dissolving zinc in nitric acid, this reaction is concentration dependent, with a reaction in concentrated acid also forming ammonium nitrate:
On heating, it undergoes thermal decomposition to form zinc oxide, nitrogen dioxide and oxygen.Applications
Zinc nitrate has no large scale application but is used on a laboratory scale for the synthesis of coordination polymers. Its controlled decomposition to zinc oxide has also been used for the generation of various ZnO based structures, including nanowires.
It can be used as a mordant in dyeing. An example reaction gives a precipitate of zinc carbonate:
