Tetra(Acetato)Dichromium(II) Dihydrate

Tetra(acetato)dichromium(II), also known as chromium(II) acetate, is one of the most accessible compounds of the strongly reducing chromium(II) ion and is used as the starting material in the preparation of other chromium(II) compounds. The synthesis of chromium(II) acetate can serve many instructional purposes. It can be used to introduce and demonstrate the concepts of metal–metal bonding and of antiferromagnetic coupling. Procedures for the preparation of chromium(II) acetate monohydrate consist of reduction of an acidic aqueous chromium(III) chloride solution to chromium(II), which is added to a suspension of sodium acetate, but all require complicated glassware or a dry box. The current recipe has the advantage that it employs equipment commonly found in most teaching laboratories, with two minor exceptions: a commercially available transfer tube and a custom but easily fabricated reaction vessel.