Chemistry of Magnesium (Z=12)

02 Jul.,2024

 

Chemistry of Magnesium (Z=12)

Magnesium is a group two element and is the eighth most common element in the earth's crust. Magnesium is light, silvery-white, and tough. Like aluminum, it forms a thin layer around itself to help prevent itself from rusting when exposed to air. Fine particles of magnesium can also catch on fire when exposed to air. Magnesium is essential in nutrition for animals and plants. It is also used as an alloy to combine with other metals to make them lighter and easier to weld, for purposes in the aerospace industry along with other industries. It is also used in medicine, in the forms of magnesium hydroxides, sulfates, chlorides, and citrates.

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General Information

  • Symbol: Mg
  • Atomic Number: 12
  • Atomic/Molar Mass: 24.31
  • Melting Point: 648.8°C, 921.8K
  • Boiling Point: °C, K
  • Density:1.738 g/cc
  • Oxidation states: +2
  • Electron Shell Configuration: [Ne]3s2

Characteristics

Magnesium takes it name from magnesite ore, named for the district Magnesia in Thessaly, Greece. Magnesium is a strong metal that is light and silvery-white. Recognized as a element as far back as , it was first isolated in pure form by Davy in . Magnesium has the ability to tarnish, which creates an oxide layer around itself to prevent it from rusting. It also has the ability to react with water at room temperature. When exposed to water, bubbles form around the metal. Increasing the temperature speeds up this reaction.

Magnesium Fire

One property of magnesium is high flammability. Like many other things, magnesium is more flammable when it has a higher surface area to volume ratio. An example of surface area to volume ratio is seen in the lighting of fire wood. It is easier to light kindling and smaller branches than a whole log. This property of magnesium is used in war, photography, and in light bulbs. Magnesium is used in war for incendiary bombs, flares, and tracer bullets. When these weapons are used, they ignite immediately and cause fires. The only way to extinguish a magnesium fire is to cover it with sand. Water does not extinguish the fire as water reacts with the hot magnesium and releases even more hydrogen.

Applications

Magnesium is one of the lightest metals, and when used as an alloy, it is commonly used in the automotive and aeronautical industries. The use of magnesium has increased and peaked in . One reason the use of magnesium has increased is that it is useful in alloys. Alloys with magnesium are able to be welded better and are lighter, which is ideal for metals used in the production of planes and other military goods.

Another characteristic of magnesium is that it aids in the digestive process. Magnesium is commonly used in milk of magnesia and Epsom salts. These forms of magnesium can range from magnesium hydroxide, magnesium sulfate, magnesium chloride, and magnesium citrate. Magnesium not only aids in humans and animals, but also in plants. It is used to convert the sun's lights into energy for the plant in a process known as photosynthesis. The main component of this process is chlorophyll. This is a pigment molecule that is composed of magnesium. Without magnesium, photosynthesis as we know it would not be possible.

Isotopes

Magnesium has three stable isotopes, Mg-24, Mg-25, Mg-26. The most common isotope is Mg-24, which is 79% of all Mg found on Earth. Mg25 and Mg26 are used to study the absorption and metabolism of magnesium in the human body. They are also used to study heart disease.

Magnesium not only has stable isotopes, but also has radioactive isotopes, which are isotopes that have an unstable nuclei. These isotopes are Mg--22, Mg23, Mg-27, Mg-28, and Mg-29. Mg-28 was commonly used in nuclear sites for scientific experiments from the s to s.

Reactions With

Water: When exposed to steam, magnesium changes from magnesium to magnesium oxide and hydrogen.

\[Mg(s) +H_2O(g) \rightarrow MgO(s) + H_2(g) \nonumber \]

When exposed to cold water, the reaction is a bit different. The reaction does not stop because the magnesium hydroxide gets insoluble in water.

\[Mg(s) +2H_2O(g) \rightarrow Mg(OH)_2(s) + H_2(g) \nonumber \]

Oxygen: When exposed to oxygen, magnesium turns into magnesium oxide.

\[2Mg(s) +O_2(g) \rightarrow 2MgO(s) \nonumber \]

Hydrogen: When exposed to hydrogen, magnesium turns into magnesium hydride.

\[Mg(s) + H_2(g) \rightarrow MgH_2(s) \nonumber \]

Nitrogen: When reacted with nitrogen, magnesium turns into magnesium nitride.

\[3Mg(s) + N_2(g) \rightarrow Mg_3N_2(s) \nonumber \]

Halogens: When reacted with a halogen, magnesium is very reactive. An example will be with chloride. When reacted with chloride, the product is magnesium(II) chloride.

\[Mg(s) + Cl_2(g) \rightarrow MgCl_2(s) \nonumber \]

Acids: When reacted with acids, magnesium dissolves and forms solutions that have both the Mg(II) ion and hydrogen gas.

\[Mg(s) + 2HCl(aq) \rightarrow Mg^{2+}(aq) + 2Cl^-(aq) + H_2(g) \nonumber \]

Bases: When reacted with bases, magnesium react.

References

  1. Avedesian, M. M., and Hugh Baker. Magnesium and Magnesium Alloys. Materials Park, OH: ASM International, . Print.
  2. Cowan, J. A. The Biological Chemistry of Magnesium. New York: VCH, . Print.

Problems

  1. Why does magnesium not rust?
  2. Why is it not possible to extinguish magnesium with water?
  3. What isotopes are used for heart studies?
  4. Why is magnesium commonly used to create automobiles and planes?
  5. What is the common oxidation state for magnesium?

Solutions

  1. Because it is able to tarnish

    &#;

    the ability to create a thin oxide layer around the metal.
  2. Because water releases hydrogen when exposed to hot magnesium.
  3. Mg

    25

    and Mg

    26

  4. Because it can be combined with other metals to make them lighter and easier to weld.
  5. +2

Contributors and Attributions

  • Ryan Kim (UC Davis)
  • Avneet Kahlon (UC Davis)

Magnesium compounds

Magnesium compounds are compounds formed by the element magnesium (Mg). These compounds are important to industry and biology, including magnesium carbonate, magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate, magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia), magnesium oxide, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (Epsom salts).

Inorganic compounds

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Hydrides, halides and oxo-halides

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Magnesium hydride was first prepared in by the reaction between hydrogen and magnesium under high temperature, pressure and magnesium iodide as a catalyst.[1] It reacts with water to release hydrogen gas; it decomposes at 287 °C, 1 bar:[2]

Link to Meishen

MgH2 &#; Mg + H2

Magnesium can form compounds with the chemical formula MgX2 (X=F, Cl, Br, I) with halogens. Except for magnesium fluoride, the halides are easily soluble in water, but the solubility of magnesium fluoride is higher than that of other alkaline earth metal fluorides. High-purity magnesium fluoride is produced industrially by the reaction of magnesium sulfate and sodium fluoride, which sublimates at  °C. Magnesium chloride is generally obtained by chlorination of magnesium oxide, or by reacting magnesium chloride hexahydrate with ammonium chloride under dry hydrogen chloride, and then thermally decomposing the resulting magnesium ammonium double salt.[3] Its hydrate will be hydrolyzed, making the solution acidic; direct heating of the hydrate will give the hydrolyzed product:[3]

[Mg(H2O)6]2+ &#; [Mg(H2O)5(OH)]+ + H3O+ (decomposes in water)
MgCl2·nH2O &#; Mg(OH)Cl + HCl + (n-1)H2O (decomposes when heated)

Magnesium chloride is an ionic compound, which can be electrolysed in a molten state to form magnesium and chlorine gas. The properties of magnesium bromide and magnesium iodide are similar.[citation needed] HMgX (X=Cl,Br,I) can be obtained by reacting the corresponding magnesium halide with magnesium hydride.[3]

Magnesium perchlorate is a white slid commonly used as a desiccant.

Magnesium hypochlorite and magnesium chlorite are unstable compounds, they are easy to hydrolyze, the former generates basic salt Mg(OCl)2·2Mg(OH)2 and the latter generates hydroxide Mg(OH)2; magnesium chlorate can be obtained by reacting magnesium carbonate with chloric acid and crystallizing hexahydrate from solution, which can also be obtained by reacting magnesium hydroxide with chlorine gas and extracted with acetone:[citation needed]

6 Mg(OH)2 + 6 Cl2 &#; 5 MgCl2 + Mg(ClO3)2 + 6 H2O

Magnesium perchlorate is a white powder that is easily soluble in water, which can be obtained by the reaction of magnesium oxide and perchloric acid. The hexahydrate crystallizes from the solution, and then it is dried with phosphorus pentoxide in a vacuum at 200~250 °C to obtain the anhydrous form. It is a commonly used desiccant and can also be used as a Lewis acid or electrophile activator.[4] Magnesium perbromate can also crystallize out of the solution to form the hexahydrate, which can be heated to obtain anhydrous, and the anhydrous is further heated, and it decomposes into magnesium oxide, bromine and oxygen.[5]

Oxides and chalcogenides

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Magnesium oxide is the end product of the thermal decomposition of some magnesium compounds and is usually prepared by igniting carbonates or hydroxides. Magnesium hydroxide is a strong electrolyte, which can be obtained by the reaction of a soluble magnesium salt and sodium hydroxide. Like magnesium oxide, it will generate a basic carbonate when placed in the air.[3] Magnesium sulfide can be produced by the reaction of magnesium and hydrogen sulfide, or by the reaction of magnesium sulfate and carbon disulfide at high temperature:[6]

Mg + H2S &#; MgS + H2
3 MgSO4 + 4 CS2 &#; 3 MgS + 4 COS + 4 SO2

It can be hydrolyzed to Mg(HS)2, and further hydrolyzed to Mg(OH)2 at higher temperatures. A solution of magnesium hydrosulfide can also be prepared by reacting hydrogen sulfide with magnesium oxide in suspension.[7] Magnesium polysulfides have been studied in magnesium-sulfur batteries.[8] Magnesium selenide is more reactive than zinc selenide and decomposes in humid air;[9] the properties of magnesium telluride and magnesium selenide are similar.[10]

Organic compounds

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Grignard reagent

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The name of the Grignard reagent comes from the French chemist Victor Grignard who discovered it. This type of organomagnesium compound has the general formula R&#;Mg&#;X, where R is a hydrocarbon group and X is a halogen. They are usually coordinated with solvent molecules. bit. Grignard reagents can be obtained by reacting magnesium with halogenated hydrocarbons in a solvent. Since there is an oxide film on the surface of magnesium, iodine is generally added to accelerate the reaction.[3] Grignard reagents are commonly used in organic synthesis to extend carbon chains:[11]

Dihydrocarbylmagnesium

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Dihydrocarbylmagnesium is an organic compound with R&#;Mg&#;R&#;, which can be prepared by the reaction of dihydrocarbylmercury and magnesium.[12] Their reactivity is similar to that of Grignard reagents, and they can react with oxygen, water, and ammonia.[13]

Magnesium anthracene is the product obtained from the reaction of magnesium and anthracene in tetrahydrofuran, which can be used to provide C14H102&#; carbanions, which react with electrophiles to obtain di-derivatives of hydrogen anthracene.[14]

Applications

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Magnesium compounds, primarily magnesium oxide (MgO), are used as a refractory material in furnace linings for producing iron, steel, nonferrous metals, glass, and cement. Magnesium oxide and other magnesium compounds are also used in the agricultural, chemical, and construction industries. Magnesium oxide from calcination is used as an electrical insulator in fire-resistant cables.[15] Other applications include:

See also

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References

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External reading

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For more information, please visit Magnesium Compounds.