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Concept
Chloride
Summary
The term chloride refers either to a chloride ion (), which is a negatively charged chlorine atom, or a non-charged chlorine atom covalently bonded to the rest of the molecule by a single bond (). Many inorganic chlorides are salts. Many organic compounds are chlorides. The pronunciation of the word "chloride" is ˈklɔəraɪd.
The chloride ion is an anion (negatively charged ion) with the charge Cl-. Chloride salts such as sodium chloride are often soluble in water. It is an essential electrolyte located in all body fluids responsible for maintaining acid/base balance, transmitting nerve impulses and regulating liquid flow in and out of cells. Other examples of ionic chlorides are calcium chloride and ammonium chloride .
The chloride is also a neutral chlorine atom covalently bonded by a single bond to the rest of the molecule. For example, methyl chloride is an organic compound with a covalent C−Cl bond in which the chlorine is not an anion. Other examples of covalent chlorides are carbon tetrachloride , sulfuryl chloride and monochloramine .
A chloride ion (diameter 167 pm) is much larger than a chlorine atom (diameter 99 pm). The chlorine atom's hold on the valence shell is weaker because the chloride anion has one more electron than it does. The ion is colorless and diamagnetic. In aqueous solution, it is highly soluble in most cases; however, for some chloride salts, such as silver chloride, lead(II) chloride, and mercury(I) chloride, they are only slightly soluble in water. In aqueous solution, chloride is bonded by the protic end of the water molecules.
Chloride can be oxidized but not reduced. The first oxidation, as employed in the chlor-alkali process, is conversion to chlorine gas. Chlorine can be further oxidized to other oxides and oxyanions including hypochlorite (ClO−, the active ingredient in chlorine bleach), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), chlorate (ClO3−), and perchlorate (ClO4−).
In terms of its acid–base properties, chloride is a weak base as indicated by the negative value of the pKa of hydrochloric acid.
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