Characteristic

Lithium perchlorate is the inorganic compound with the formula LiClO4. This white or colourless crystalline salt is noteworthy for its high solubility in many solvents. It exists both in anhydrous form and as a trihydrate.

Chemical formula:LiClO4

Molar mass:106.39 g/mol (anhydrous);160.44 g/mol (trihydrate)

Appearance:white crystals

Odor:odorless

Density:2.42 g/cm³

Melting point:236 °C (457 °F; 509 K)

Boiling point:430 °C (806 °F; 703 K);decomposes from 400 °C

Solubility in water:42.7 g/100 mL (0 °C);49 g/100 mL (10 °C);59.8 g/100 mL (25 °C);71.8 g/100 mL (40 °C);119.5 g/100 mL (80 °C);300 g/100 g (120 °C)

Solubility:soluble in alcohol, ethyl acetate

Solubility in acetone:137 g/100 g

Solubility in alcohol:1.82 g/g (0 °C, in CH₃OH);1.52 g/g (0 °C, in C₂H₅OH);1.05 g/g (25 °C, in C₃H₇OH);0.793 g/g (0 °C, in C₄H₉OH)

Application

Lithium perchlorate is used as an oxygen source for chemical oxygen generators, as it liberates oxygen at high temperatures. Excellent solubility of lithium perchlorate permits its use in Diels-Alder reactions. It is also employed in lithium-ion batteries as an electrolyte, and act as chaotropic agent to denature proteins. It is used in the Baylis-Hillman reaction as a catalyst in the coupling of alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds with aldehydes.