Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Aug 2, 2026

Silver chlorite

Silver chlorite is a chemical compound with the formula AgClO2. This slightly yellow solid is shock sensitive and has an orthorhombic crystal structure.

Last revised
Aug 2, 2026
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≈ 2 min
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482 w
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Source
Silver chlorite
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Names
IUPAC name
Silver chlorite
Other names
  • Silver(I) chlorite
Identifiers
3D model (JSmol)
ChemSpider
  • InChI=1S/Ag.ClHO2/c;2-1-3/h;(H,2,3)/q+1;/p-1
  • [O-]Cl=O.[Ag+]
Properties
AgClO2
Molar mass 175.32 g/mol
Appearance Slightly yellow solid
Melting point 156 °C (313 °F; 429 K)2 (decomposes)
0.45 g/100ml1
2.12
Structure3
Orthorhombic
Pcca
a = 6.075 Å, b = 6.689 Å, c = 6.123 Å
Thermochemistry
20.81 cal/deg4
32.16 cal/deg4
0.0 kcal/mol1
Hazards
GHS labelling:
GHS01: Explosive
Related compounds
Other anions
Silver chlorate
Silver perchlorate
Silver hypochlorite
Other cations
Sodium chlorite
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

Silver chlorite is a chemical compound with the formula AgClO2. This slightly yellow solid is shock sensitive and has an orthorhombic crystal structure.

Preparation

Silver chlorite is prepared by the reaction of silver nitrate and sodium chlorite:5

AgNO3 + NaClO2 → AgClO2 + NaNO3

Reactions and properties

If normally heated, it explodes violently at 105 °C:2

AgClO2 → AgCl + O2

If heated very carefully, it decomposes at 156 °C to form silver chloride. It can also decompose to silver chlorate if chlorous acid is present.2

Silver chlorite reacts explosively with various substances such as sulfur and hydrochloric acid, forming silver chloride. It also gets reduced by sulfur dioxide, and reacts with sulfuric acid to form chlorine dioxide.6 This compound explodes in contact with iodomethane and iodoethane.7

Silver chlorite complexes

Silver chlorite can react with anhydrous ammonia to form triammonia-silver chlorite:6

AgClO2 + 3NH3 → 3NH3·AgClO2
References

References

  1. A. G. Massey; N. R. Thompson; B. F. G. Johnson (2016). The Chemistry of Copper, Silver and Gold (Ebook). Pergamon International Library of Science, Technology, Engineering and Social Studies: Elsevier Science. p. 108. ISBN 9781483181691.
  2. F. Solymosi (1968). "The Thermal Stability and Some Physical Properties of Silver Chlorite, Chlorate and Perchlorate*". Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie. 57 (1). Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag: 1–18. doi:10.1524/zpch.1968.57.1_2.001. S2CID 102195060.
  3. M. Okuda; M. Ishihara; M. Yamanaka; S. Ohba; Y. Saito (1990). "Structures of lead chlorite, magnesium chlorite hexahydrate and silver chlorite". Acta Crystallogr. 46 (10): 1755–1759. Bibcode:1990AcCrC..46.1755O. doi:10.1107/S010827019000066X.
  4. Wendell V. Smith; Kenneth S. Pitzer; Wendell M. Latimer (1937). "Silver Chlorite: Its Heat Capacity from 15 to 300K., Free Energy and Heat of Solution and Entropy. The Entropy of Chlorite Ion". J. Am. Chem. Soc. 59 (12): 2640–2642. Bibcode:1937JAChS..59.2640S. doi:10.1021/ja01291a046.
  5. J. Cooper; R. E. Marsh (1961). "On the structure of AgClO2". Acta Crystallogr. 14 (2): 202–203. Bibcode:1961AcCry..14..202C. doi:10.1107/S0365110X61000693.
  6. Joseph William Mellor (1922). Supplement to Mellor's Comprehensive Treatise on Inorganic and Theoretical Chemistry: suppl. 3. K, Rb, Cs, Fr. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: Longmans, Green and Company. p. 284.
  7. Urben, Peter, ed. (2013). Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards. Elsevier Science. p. 4. ISBN 9780080523408.