Nickel Chloride
Nickel(II) chloride (or just nickel chloride), is the chemical compound NiCl2. The anhydrous salt is yellow, but the more familiar hydrate NiCl2·6H2O is green. Nickel(II) chloride, in various forms, is the most important source of nickel for chemical synthesis
The nickel chlorides are deliquescent, absorbing moisture from the air to form a solution. Nickel salts have been shown to be carcinogenic to the lungs and nasal passages in cases of long-term inhalation exposure.
Nickel Chloride Properties
Industrial uses for Nickel Chloride
NiCl2 and its hydrate are occasionally useful in organic synthesis.
As a mild Lewis acid, e.g. for the regioselective isomerization of dienols:
In combination with CrCl2 for the coupling of an aldehyde and a vinylic iodide to give allylic alcohols.
For selective reductions in the presence of LiAlH4, e.g. for the conversion of alkenes to alkanes.
As a precursor to Brown's P-1 and P-2 nickel boride catalyst through reaction with NaBH4.
As a precursor to finely divided Ni by reduction with Zn, for the reduction of aldehydes, alkenes, and nitro aromatic compounds. This reagent also promotes homo-coupling reactions, that is 2RX → R-R where R = aryl, vinyl.
As a catalyst for making dialkyl aryl phosphonates from phosphites and aryl iodide, ArI:
ArI + P(OEt)3 → ArP(O)(OEt)2 + EtI
NiCl2-dme (or NiCl2-glyme) is used due to its increased solubility in comparison to the hexahydrate.
The largest scale production of nickel chloride involves the extraction with hydrochloric acid of nickel matte and residues obtained from roasting refining nickel-containing ores.
Nickel chloride is not usually prepared in the laboratory because it is inexpensive and has a long shelf-life. Heating the hexahydrate in the range 66-133.°C gives the yellowish dihydrate, NiCl2·2H2O.[5] The hydrates convert to the anhydrous form upon heating in thionyl chloride or by heating under a stream of HCl gas. Simply heating the hydrates does not afford the anhydrous dichloride.
The dehydration is accompanied by a color change from green to yellow.[6]
In case one needs a pure compound without presence of cobalt, nickel chloride can be obtained cautiously heating hexaamminenickel chloride:
![{\displaystyle {\ce {{\overset {hexammine \atop nickel~chloride}{[Ni(NH3)6]Cl2}}->[175-200^{\circ }{\ce {C}}]NiCl2{}+6NH3}}}](https://wikimedia.org/api/rest_v1/media/math/render/svg/196a5da2ce2ec8243534e7bf366995ac5327d0a4)
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