Lithium chloride

Lithium chloride

Names
Preferred IUPAC name Lithium chloride
Systematic IUPAC name Lithium(1+) chloride
Identifiers
CAS Number	7447-41-8 Y
3D model (Jmol)	Interactive image
ChEBI	CHEBI:48607 Y
ChEMBL	ChEMBL69710 N
ChemSpider	22449 Y
ECHA InfoCard	100.028.375
EC Number	231-212-3
MeSH	Lithium+chloride
PubChem	433294
RTECS number	OJ5950000
UNII	G4962QA067 Y
UN number	2056
InChI InChI=1S/ClH.Li/h1H;/q;+1/p-1 N Key: KWGKDLIKAYFUFQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M N InChI=1S/ClH.Li/h1H;/q;+1/p-1 Key: KWGKDLIKAYFUFQ-UHFFFAOYSA-M InChI=1/ClH.Li/h1H;/q;+1/p-1 Key: KWGKDLIKAYFUFQ-REWHXWOFAB
SMILES [Li+].[Cl-]
Properties
Chemical formula	ClLi
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
Specific heat capacity (C)	48.03 J/mol·K
Std molar entropy (So298)	59.31 J/mol·K
Std enthalpy of formation (ΔfHo298)	-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
EU classification (DSD)	Xn
R-phrases	R22, R36/37/38
S-phrases	S26, S36/37/39
NFPA 704	0 1 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 Lithium astatide
Other cations	Sodium chloride Potassium chloride Rubidium chloride Caesium chloride Francium 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).
N  (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Lithium chloride is a chemical compound with the formula LiCl. The salt is a typical ionic compound, 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.

The salt forms crystalline hydrates, unlike the other alkali metal chlorides. Mono-, tri-, and pentahydrates are known. The anhydrous salt can be regenerated by heating the hydrates. Molten LiCl hydrolyzes to give LiOH and HCl. 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:

Lithium chloride is produced by treatment of lithium carbonate with hydrochloric acid. It can in principle also be generated by the highly exothermic reaction of lithium metal with either chlorine or anhydrous hydrogen chloride gas. Anhydrous LiCl is prepared from the hydrate by heating with a stream of hydrogen chloride.

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. 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.