Formula NH4MnO4 | Molar mass 136.974 g/mol | |
 | ||
Related compounds Appearance rhombic needle crystals or powder with rich violet-brown or dark purple metallic sheen, become steel-gray in storage; magenta–rose in solution | ||
Ammonium permanganate
Ammonium permanganate is the chemical compound NH4MnO4, or NH3·HMnO4. It is soluble in water. It is a strong oxidizer, owing to its permanganate anion, and it is a moderately strong explosive, owing to the combination of oxidizer permanganate anion and reducing ammonium cation. Dry ammonium permanganate can detonate by heat, shock, or friction, and it may explode at temperatures above 140 °F (60 °C).
Contents
Ammonium permanganate decomposes explosively to manganese dioxide, nitrogen, and water:
2 NH4MnO4 → 2 MnO2 + N2 + 4 H2OAmmonium permanganate was first prepared by Eilhard Mitscherlich in 1824 by reaction of silver permanganate with equal molar amount of ammonium chloride, filtering the silver chloride and evaporating the water. It can be also prepared in a similar way from barium permanganate and ammonium sulfate.
Ammonium permanganate decomposes slowly in storage even at normal temperatures. A sample stored for 3 months was only 96% pure, after 6 months it assumed color of iodine and had strong smell of nitrogen oxides. It emits toxic fumes when decomposed by heat.
Quaternary ammonium permanganate compounds can be prepared, such as tetrabutylammonium permanganate.