Barium manganate is an inorganic compound with the formula BaMnO4. It is used as an oxidant in organic chemistry.[2] It belongs to a class of compounds known as manganates in which the manganese resides in a +6 oxidation state. Manganate should not be confused with permanganate which contains manganese(VII). Barium manganate is a powerful oxidant, popular in organic synthesis and can be used in a wide variety of oxidation reactions.
Properties
The manganate(VI) ion is a d1 ion and is tetrahedral with bond angles of approximately 109.5°. The Mn−O bond lengths in BaMnO4 and K2MnO4 are identical at 1.66 Å. In comparison, the Mn-O bond length in MnO2−4 is longer than in MnO4− of 1.56 Å and shorter than the Mn−O bond found in MnO2, 1.89 Å.[3][4] Barium manganate is isomorphous with BaCrO4 and BaSO4. Barium manganate can appear as a dark blue or green to black crystals.[5] Barium manganate is indefinitely stable, active and can be stored for months in dry conditions.[5]
Barium manganate oxidizes a number of functional groups efficiently and selectively: alcohols to carbonyls, diols to lactones, thiols to disulfides, aromatic amines to azo-compounds, hydroquinone to p-benzoquinone, benzylamine to benzaldehyde, hydrazones to diazo compounds, etc.[7] It does not oxidize saturated hydrocarbons, alkenes, unsaturated ketones, and tertiary amines. Barium manganate is a common substitute for MnO2. It is easier to prepare, reacts more efficiently, and the substrate:oxidant ratios are closer to theory.
Another use for barium manganate was as a reagent in the synthesis of the inorganic pigment manganese blue, which is no longer produced on an industrial scale.
^Carrington, A.; Symons, M. C. R. "Structure and reactivity of the oxy-anions of transition metals. Part I. The managese oxy-anions", J. Chem. Soc. 1956, p3373-3380. doi:10.1039/JR9560003373.
^Procter.G.; Ley, S. V.; Castle, G.H. (2004), "Barium Manganate", in Paquette,L., Encyclopedia of Reagents for Organic Synthesis, New York:Wiley, {{doi:10.1002/047084289X}}.