Australia's Science Forum

Hi,
I have been looking for Iron(II) nitrate for ages, does anyone know where I can get it from? I can get Iron(III) nitrate. My HOD asks all the time, and I tell her I haven't been able to source it, does it exist and where?

And what is a chlorine solution, I offered a bleach solution but it has other things in it, what can I use for this. Thanks heaps
Cheers
Lisa

What does she want the iron (ii) nitrate for? If you only want a substance that provides Fe2+ ions, then I suggest you use ferrous ammonium sulphate, all other Fe2+ salts oxidise too quickly to Fe3+.

Chlorine water: produce Cl2 gas by reacting KMnO4 with Conc. Hydrochloric acid, using a delivery tube, allow the gas to bubble through water.

Hi Lisa,
What does you HOD need - the Iron(II) ion or the nitrate ion as you cannot get Iron(II) Nitrate. If the HOD wants Iron(II), you can substitute sulfate (as in Iron(II) Sulfate or Iron(II) Ammonium Sulfate) for the nitrate.

You were almost there with the chlorine solution. Get the bleach and slowly add 2M sulfuric acid (do this in the fume cupboard) till all bubbling stops. You should notice the solution will now be a yellowish colour. The solution will continue to give off chlorine so it should stay in a fume cupboard at all times and make only a small quantity. It has a very limited shelf life and needs to be made fresh whenever you need it.

Cheers
Ross

Thanks you have been a huge help. I just told her again we cant get Iron(II) nitrate, so she said she will use sulfate next time. I didn't understand at the time it was the 2+ ions, not the nitrate but thanks again I will try the chlorine next time

Hi All,

Try looking for ferrous nitrate in your search.

Cheers,

Robb.....

If it were absolutely necessary to have ferrous nitrate, you could react ferrous sulfate with (lead or barium) nitrate and decant the solution off of the precipitated sulfate.

FeSO₄ (aq) + Pb(NO₃)₂ (aq) => Fe(NO3)₂ (aq) + PbSO₄ (s)
FeSO₄ (aq) + Ba(NO₃)₂ (aq) => Fe(NO3)₂ (aq) + BaSO₄ (s)

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Mostly I'm asked for Copper, Lead, Iron, Magnesium, and Zinc Nitrates--and the metals themselves--for reactivity comparisons, or for making salt-bridge electric cells.

Nitrates are preferred because they're all fairly soluable, where as that isn't always so for sulfates.

I have a Iron III Nitrate Ferric Nitrate 0.1M it is a yellowish colour, is it alright to use,?????????????