Nomenclature
CAS number: 20816-12-0
(
T-4)-Osmium oxide (OsO
4); Osmic acid.
O
4Os; mol wt 254.23.
O 25.17%, Os 74.83%.
OsO
4.
Description and references
Prepd by heating (at 300-400°) finely divided
osmium metal in a stream of air or oxygen. Lab prepn: Grube in Handbook of Preparative Inorganic Chemistry vol. 2, G. Brauer, Ed. (Academic Press, New York, 2nd
ed., 1965) pp 1603-1604. Use in treatment of arthritis: M. Nissil"a et al., Scand. J. Rheumatol. 5, 111 (1977); A. S. Hendricson et al., Acta Orthop. Scand. 52, 17 (1982).
Review of chemistry and biochemistry: W. P. Griffith, Platinum Met. Rev. 18, 94-96 (1974);
of toxicity: E. Browning, Toxicity of Industrial
Metals (Appleton-Century-Crofts, New York, 2nd ed., 1969)
pp 261-266.
Properties
Pale yellow solid; monoclinic crystals. Poisonous. Safeguards necessary when opening container. Acrid, chlorine-like odor. Minimum perceptible concn 0.02 mg/liter
of air. mp 40.6°. d 5.10 (calc): Ueki et al., Acta Crystallogr. 19, 157 (1965). bp760 130.0°; bp400 109.3°; bp200 89.5°; bp100 71.5°; bp60 59.4°. Begins to
sublime and distil well below the boiling point. Vapor press at 27°:
11 mm. Critical temp 405°; crit press. 170 atm. Sol in benzene.
Soly at 25° (g/100 g): water 7.24; carbon tetrachloride 375: Anderson,
Yost, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 60, 1822 (1938). Also sol in alc, ether, ammonium hydroxide, phosphorus
oxychloride.Caution
Potential symptoms of overexposure
are irritation of eyes and respiratory system; lacrimation, visual
disturbance; conjunctivitis; headache; coughing; dyspnea; dermatitis.
See NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical
Hazards (DHHS/NIOSH 97-140, 1997) p 238.Use
Oxidizing agent, particularly for converting olefins
to glycols. Catalyzes chlorate, peroxide, periodate, and other oxidations:
P. N. Rylander,
Organic Syntheses with Noble
Metal Catalysts (Academic Press, New York, 1973) pp 121-144.
As fixing and staining agent for cell and tissue studies.