perchlorate(1−)

Also known as perchlorate ion

A perchlorate is a chemical compound used mainly in making rocket fuel and fireworks, as well as some other industrial uses. In many countries it is used to treat hyperthyroidism, but (mainly because of its effect on the thyroid gland) it is an environmental toxin which endangers human health when it contaminates food and water.

Chemical data

Formula: ClO4-
Molecular weight: 99.45 g/mol
IUPAC name: perchlorate
SMILES: [O-]Cl(=O)(=O)=O
InChIKey: VLTRZXGMWDSKGL-UHFFFAOYSA-M
XLogP: 2.2
Polar surface area: 74.3 Å²
H-bond donors: 0
H-bond acceptors: 4
Formal charge: -1

via PubChem

~35 min read

Encyclopedic overview

27 sections

Contents

Production
Uses
Chemical properties
Weak base and weak coordinating anion
Weak oxidant in aqueous solution due to kinetic limitations
Microbiology
Natural abundance
Terrestrial abundance
On Mars
Contamination in environment
Industrial origin
In U.S. drinking water
In food
From minerals and other natural occurrences
From nitrate fertilizers
Environmental cleanup
Treatment ex situ and in situ
Health effects
Thyroid inhibition
Lung toxicity
Aplastic anemia
Regulation in the U.S.
Water
Covalent perchlorates
Safety
References
External links

Perchlorates contain the perchlorate ion, , the conjugate base of perchloric acid (ionic perchlorate). As counterions, there can be metal cations, quaternary ammonium cations or other ions, for example, nitronium cation ().

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “perchlorate(1−)” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.