COPPER CHLORIDE

Copper chloride is a transition metal found in a variety of supplements and vitamins, including intravenous solutions for total parenteral nutrition (TPN).
Copper chloride is an essential nutrient which serves as a co factor for serum ceruloplasmin, an oxidase necessary for proper formation of the iron carrier protein, transferrin. 
Copper chloride also helps maintain normal rates of red and white blood cell formation. 

CAS Number: 1344-67-8
Molecular Formula: Cl.C
EINECS Number: 215-704-5

Synonyms:Cupric chloride, Copper(II) chloride, Cupric chloride anhydrous, Copper bichloride, Cupric dichloride, Copper(2+) chloride, dichlorocopper, CuCl₂, Copper(2+)chloride, Copper chloride (CuCl₂), Coclor, Copper(II) chloride (1:2), Cupric chloride in plastic container, Copper (as cupric chloride), Copper chloride (CuCl₂) dihydrate, Cuprum Muriaticum, Kirticopper, Copper chloride, Copper dichloride, COPPER (II) CHLORIDE, Copper(II)chloride, Copper(II) chloride, anhydrous, Copper (II) chloride anhydrous, copper (II)chloride, copper(II)-chloride, copper (II) cloride, copper (II)-chloride, Copper(II) chloride, 97%, Copper (II) chloride, 95%, Copper(II) chloride, ultra dry, Copper(II) chloride, powder, 99%, Copper(II) chloride, p.a., 97%, Copper(II) chloride, LR, ≥98%, Copper (II) Chloride, Trace metals grade, Copper(II) chloride, SAJ first grade, ≥98.0%, Copper(II) chloride, 99.999% trace metals basis, Copper(II) chloride, anhydrous, powder, ≥99.995% trace metals basis, Copper (II) chloride, ultra dry, powder, ampoule, 99.995% trace metals grade, COPPER CHLORIDE;COPPER ATOMIC SPECTROSCOPY STANDARD;COPPER AA STANDARD CONCENTRATE;Copper (II) chloride, 9.5% min in graphite;Cupric Chloride, Dihydrate, Crystal, Reagent;Copper chloride [un2802] [corrosive];Einecs 215-704-5;Kirticopper

Copper chloride has both anhydrous and hydrated forms with distinct physical properties.
The anhydrous form is brownish-yellow, while the hydrated form is bright blue-green.
When heated, the hydrated form loses water molecules and turns into the anhydrous version.

Copper chloride is ionic in nature, consisting of Cu²⁺ cations and Cl⁻ anions.
In aqueous solution, it can undergo hydrolysis, forming acidic solutions.
Because of this behavior, it is often used as a mild oxidizing agent in chemical reactions.

Copper chloride can participate in redox reactions where copper ions are reduced to metallic copper.
In such reactions, it often acts as a source of chlorine and copper simultaneously.
This property makes it useful in etching processes and in synthesizing organochlorine compounds.

When exposed to ammonia, copper chloride forms deep blue complexes.
These complexes are used to study coordination chemistry and bonding structures.
Such reactions demonstrate the variable oxidation states and coordination numbers of copper.

In the field of materials science, copper(II) chloride is used to prepare conductive coatings and catalysts.
Copper chloride also plays a role in forming nanomaterials and composite structures.
These applications take advantage of copper’s excellent electrical and catalytic properties.

In environmental chemistry, copper chloride can act as a pollutant if released in large amounts.
Copper chloride can harm aquatic life due to its toxicity to fish and microorganisms.
Therefore, waste solutions containing copper chloride must be properly treated before disposal.

Copper chloride, also known as cupric chloride, is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula CuCl2. 
The monoclinic yellowish-brown anhydrous form slowly absorbs moisture to form the orthorhombic blue-green dihydrate CuCl2·2H2O, with two water molecules of hydration. 
Copper chloride is industrially produced for use as a co-catalyst in the Wacker process.

Both the anhydrous and the dihydrate forms occur naturally as the rare minerals tolbachite and eriochalcite, respectively.
Copper chloride adopts a distorted cadmium iodide structure. 
In this structure, the copper centers are octahedral. 

Most copper(II) compounds exhibit distortions from idealized octahedral geometry due to the Jahn-Teller effect, which in this case describes the localization of one d-electron into a molecular orbital that is strongly antibonding with respect to a pair of chloride ligands. 
In CuCl2·2H2O, the copper again adopts a highly distorted octahedral geometry, the Cu(II) centers being surrounded by two water ligands and four chloride ligands, which bridge asymmetrically to other Cu centers.

Copper chloride is paramagnetic. Of historical interest, CuCl2·2H2O was used in the first electron paramagnetic resonance measurements by Yevgeny Zavoisky in 1944.
Copper chloride occurs naturally as the very rare anhydrous mineral tolbachite and the dihydrate eriochalcite.
Both are found near fumaroles and in some copper mines.

Mixed oxyhydroxide-chlorides like atacamite (Cu2(OH)3Cl) are more common, arising among Cu ore beds oxidation zones in arid climates.
Copper chloride can be toxic. Only concentrations below 1.3 ppm of aqueous copper ions are allowed in drinking water by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
If copper chloride is absorbed, it results in headache, diarrhea, a drop in blood pressure, and fever. 

Ingestion of large amounts may induce copper poisoning, CNS disorders, and haemolysis.
Copper chloride has been demonstrated to cause chromosomal aberrations and mitotic cycle disturbances within A. cepa (onion) cells.
Such cellular disturbances lead to genotoxicity. Copper(II) chloride has also been studied as a harmful environmental pollutant. 

Often present in irrigation-grade water, it can negatively affect water and soil microbes.
Specifically, denitrifying bacteria were found to be very sensitive to the presence of copper(II) chloride. 
At a concentration of 0.95 mg/L, copper(II) chloride was found to cause a 50% inhibition (IC50) of the metabolic activity of denitrifying microbes.

Providing copper during Total Parenteral Nutrition helps prevent development of the following deficiency symptoms: Leukopenia, neutropenia, anemia, depressed ceruloplasmin levels, impaired transferrin formation, secondary iron deficiency and osteoporosis.
The in vitro interaction of organic Copper chloride compounds with rat liver glutathione S-transferases was studied with reduced glutathione and 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene as substrates. 
Both organic and inorganic copper are spontaneously conjugated with glutathione, but interact with glutathione S-transferase by direct binding to these proteins.

Melting point: 620 °C (lit.)
Boiling point: 993 °C
Density: 3.386 g/mL at 25 °C (lit.)
Storage temperature: 2–8 °C
Solubility: H₂O – soluble
Form: Powder
InChI: InChI=1S/ClH.Cu/h1H;
InChIKey: NNIYFVYSVUWTOA-UHFFFAOYSA-N
SMILES: Cl.[Cu]

Copper chloride is an inorganic compound composed of copper and chlorine.
It usually appears as a yellowish-brown or green crystalline solid.
This compound is known for its ability to absorb moisture from the air, making it highly hygroscopic.

It is the most common Copper chloride salt used in laboratories and industrial applications.
When dissolved in water, it forms a blue-green solution due to the formation of hydrated copper ions.
The color of the compound can vary depending on its hydration state and environmental conditions.

Copper chloride chloride occurs naturally as the mineral tolbachite in volcanic regions.
It can also be synthesized by reacting copper metal or Copper chloride oxide with hydrochloric acid.
The dihydrate form, CuCl₂·2H₂O, is the most stable and commonly used version.

In industrial applications, copper chloride is used as a catalyst in organic synthesis.
It also serves in electroplating, dye manufacturing, and as a mordant in textile printing.
Additionally, it plays an important role in the preparation of other copper compounds.

Copper chloride is toxic if ingested or inhaled in large quantities.
It can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
Therefore, handling it requires protective gloves, masks, and proper ventilation.

Aqueous solutions prepared from copper(II) chloride contain a range of Copper chloride complexes depending on concentration, temperature, and the presence of additional chloride ions. 
These species include the blue color of [Cu(H2O)6]2+ and the yellow or red color of the halide complexes of the formula [CuCl2+x]x−.
When Copper chloride solutions are treated with a base, a precipitation of copper(II) hydroxide occurs: CuCl2 + 2 NaOH → Cu(OH)2 + 2 NaCl

Partial hydrolysis gives dicopper chloride trihydroxide, Cu2(OH)3Cl, a popular fungicide.[8] When an aqueous solution of Copper chloride is left in the air and isn't stabilized by a small amount of acid, it is prone to undergo slight hydrolysis.
Copper chloride is a mild oxidant. 
It starts to decompose to copper(I) chloride and chlorine gas around 400 °C (752 °F) and is completely decomposed near 1,000 °C (1,830 °F): 2 CuCl2 → 2 CuCl + Cl2

The reported melting point of Copper chloride of 498 °C (928 °F) is a melt of a mixture of copper(I) chloride and copper(II) chloride. 
The true melting point of 630 °C (1,166 °F) can be extrapolated by using the melting points of the mixtures of CuCl and CuCl2.
Copper chloride reacts with several metals to produce copper metal or copper(I) chloride (CuCl) with oxidation of the other metal. 

To convert Copper chloride to copper(I) chloride, it can be convenient to reduce an aqueous solution with sulfur dioxide as the reductant: 2 CuCl2 + SO2 + 2 H2O → 2 CuCl + 2 HCl + H2SO4
CuCl2 reacts with HCl or other chloride sources to form complex ions: the red [CuCl3]− (found in potassium trichloridocuprate(II) K[CuCl3]) (it is a dimer in reality, [Cu2Cl6]2−, a couple of tetrahedrons that share an edge), and the green or yellow [CuCl4]2− (found in potassium tetrachloridocuprate(II) K2[CuCl4]).

CuCl2 + Cl− ⇌ [CuCl3]−
CuCl2 + 2 Cl− ⇌ [CuCl4]2−
Some of these complexes can be crystallized from aqueous solution, and they adopt a wide variety of structures.
Copper(II) chloride also forms a variety of coordination complexes with ligands such as ammonia, pyridine and triphenylphosphine oxide: CuCl2 + 2 C5H5N → [CuCl2(C5H5N)2] (tetragonal)
CuCl2 + 2 (C6H5)3P=O → [CuCl2((C6H5)3P=O)2] (tetrahedral)

However "soft" ligands such as phosphines (e.g., triphenylphosphine), iodide, and cyanide as well as some tertiary amines induce reduction to give copper(I) complexes.
Copper chloride is prepared commercially by the action of chlorination of copper. 
Copper at red heat (300-400 °C) combines directly with chlorine gas, giving (molten) copper(II) chloride the reaction is very exothermic.

Cu(s) + Cl2(g) → CuCl2(l)
A solution of Copper chloride is commercially produced by adding chlorine gas to a circulating mixture of hydrochloric acid and copper. 
From this solution, the dihydrate can be produced by evaporation.
Although copper metal itself cannot be oxidized by hydrochloric acid, copper-containing bases such as the hydroxide, oxide, or Copper chloride can react to form CuCl2 in an acid-base reaction which can subsequently be heated above 100 °C (212 °F) to produce the anhydrous derivative.

Once prepared, a solution of CuCl2 may be purified by crystallization. 
A standard method takes the solution mixed in hot dilute hydrochloric acid, and causes the crystals to form by cooling in a calcium chloride (CaCl2) ice bath.
There are indirect and rarely used means of using copper ions in solution to form copper(II) chloride. Electrolysis of aqueous sodium chloride with copper electrodes produces (among other things) a blue-green foam that can be collected and converted to the hydrate. 

While this is not usually done due to the emission of toxic chlorine gas, and the prevalence of the more general chloralkali process, the electrolysis will convert the copper metal to copper ions in solution forming the compound. 
Indeed, any solution of copper ions can be mixed with hydrochloric acid and made into a copper chloride by removing any other ions.

Uses:
Isomerization and cracking catalyst, mordant in dyeing and printing fabrics, sympathetic ink, disinfectant, pyrotechnics, wood preservation, fungicides, metallurgy, preservation of pulpwood, deodorizing and desulfurizing petroleum distillates, photography, water purification, feed additive, electroplating baths, pigment for glass and ceramics, acrylonitrile manufacturing.
Copper chloride is used in a wide range of industrial and laboratory applications.
It serves as a catalyst in many organic and inorganic reactions, including the production of vinyl chloride and ethylene dichloride.

Its catalytic properties make it valuable in oxidation and chlorination processes.
In chemical synthesis, copper chloride helps in preparing other copper salts and coordination compounds.
Copper chloride acts as an intermediate for producing pigments, dyes, and stabilizers.

Because of its oxidizing nature, it is often applied in the synthesis of organometallic and organochlorine compounds.
The compound is widely used in electroplating and galvanizing industries.
It provides a conductive layer that enhances corrosion resistance and surface finish.

In printed circuit board (PCB) production, it functions as an etchant for removing metallic copper.
In the textile industry, copper(II) chloride works as a mordant for dyeing and printing fabrics.
Copper chloride helps bind dyes to fibers, ensuring color stability and brightness.

This use is particularly common in synthetic and blended fabrics.
In the field of environmental and analytical chemistry, copper chloride is employed in chemical analysis and testing.
Copper chloride can act as a reagent in spectrophotometric determinations and titrations.

Its color-changing properties make it useful in qualitative analysis and indicator reactions.
In materials science and research, it is used to prepare nanostructured copper oxides and composite materials.

These materials are applied in catalysis, sensors, and electronic devices.
Researchers also use it in thin-film deposition and coating technologies.

Copper(II) chloride is also used in pyrotechnics to create blue and green flame colors.
Its volatile copper compounds emit characteristic colors when burned.
This application is common in fireworks and special visual effects.

A major industrial application for Copper chloride is as a co-catalyst with palladium(II) chloride in the Wacker process. 
In this process, ethene (ethylene) is converted to ethanal (acetaldehyde) using water and air. During the reaction, PdCl2 reduced to Pd, and the CuCl2 serves to re-oxidize this back to PdCl2. 
Air can then oxidize the resultant CuCl back to CuCl2, completing the cycle.

C2H4 + PdCl2 + H2O → CH3CHO + Pd + 2 HCl
Pd + 2 CuCl2 → 2 CuCl + PdCl2
4 CuCl + 4 HCl + O2 → 4 CuCl2 + 2 H2O
The overall process is: 2 C2H4 + O2 → 2 CH3CHO

Copper chloride has some highly specialized applications in the synthesis of organic compounds.
It affects the chlorination of aromatic hydrocarbons—this is often performed in the presence of aluminium oxide. 
Copper chloride is able to chlorinate the alpha position of carbonyl compounds:[20][21]

Alpha chlorination of an aldehyde using CuCl2.
This reaction is performed in a polar solvent such as dimethylformamide, often in the presence of lithium chloride, which accelerates the reaction.
CuCl2, in the presence of oxygen, can also oxidize phenols. 

The major product can be directed to give either a quinone or a coupled product from oxidative dimerization. 
Such compounds are intermediates in the synthesis of BINAP and its derivatives.
Copper chloride dihydrate promotes the hydrolysis of acetonides, i.e., for deprotection to regenerate diols[23] or aminoalcohols, as in this example (where TBDPS = tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)

Deprotection of an acetonide using CuCl2·2H2O.
CuCl2 also catalyses the free radical addition of sulfonyl chlorides to alkenes; the alpha-chlorosulfone may then undergo elimination with a base to give a vinyl sulfone product.
Copper chloride is used as a catalyst in a variety of processes that produce chlorine by oxychlorination. 

The Deacon process takes place at about 400 to 450 °C in the presence of a copper chloride: 4 HCl + O2 → 2 Cl2 + 2 H2O
Copper chloride catalyzes the chlorination in the production of vinyl chloride and dichloromethane.
Copper chloride is used in the copper–chlorine cycle where it reacts with steam into copper(II) oxide dichloride and hydrogen chloride and is later recovered in the cycle from the electrolysis of copper(I) chloride.

Copper chloride is used in pyrotechnics as a blue/green coloring agent. In a flame test, copper chlorides, like all copper compounds, emit green-blue light.
In humidity indicator cards (HICs), cobalt-free brown to azure (copper(II) chloride base) HICs can be found on the market.
In 1998, the European Community classified items containing cobalt(II) chloride of 0.01 to 1% w/w as T (Toxic), with the corresponding R phrase of R49 (may cause cancer if inhaled). 

Consequently, new cobalt-free humidity indicator cards containing copper have been developed.
Copper chloride is used as a mordant in the textile industry, petroleum sweetener, wood preservative, and water cleaner.

Safety Profile:
Copper chloride is classified as a toxic and hazardous substance.
It can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system upon contact or inhalation.
Direct exposure may lead to inflammation, redness, and burning sensations.

If inhaled, copper chloride dust or vapors can irritate the lungs and throat.
Prolonged exposure may cause coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath.
High concentrations can even lead to pulmonary edema or bronchitis.

When ingested, this compound is highly poisonous to humans and animals.
It can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.
In severe cases, it may lead to liver and kidney damage or even death.

Eye exposure to Copper chloride can result in redness, tearing, and pain.
If not washed immediately, it may cause permanent damage to the cornea.
Protective goggles are therefore essential when handling the chemical.

Skin contact can cause irritation or dermatitis after prolonged or repeated exposure.
The compound may be absorbed through the skin in small amounts, leading to systemic toxicity.
Wearing gloves and protective clothing is necessary to minimize risk.

Copper chloride is harmful to the environment, especially to aquatic life.
Copper chloride can contaminate water bodies and cause bioaccumulation in fish and plants.
Therefore, all waste containing copper chloride should be carefully neutralized and disposed of.