Chromium(III) acetate

Chromium(III) acetate, commonly known as basic chromium acetate, describes a family of salts where the cation has the formula [Cr3O(O2CCH3)6(OH2)3]+. The trichromium cation is encountered with a variety of anions, such as chloride and nitrate. Data in the table above are for the chloride hexahydrate, [Cr3O(O2CCH3)6(OH2)3]Cl(H2O)6.

Salts of basic chromium acetate has long attracted interest because of its distinctive structure, which features octahedral Cr(III) centers, a triply bridging oxo ligand, six acetate ligands, and three aquo ligands. The same structure is shared with basic iron acetate and basic manganese acetate. Little evidence exists for a simple chromium(III) acetate, i.e. lacking the oxo ligand. Chromium(III) acetate is a blue/grey-green powder, which is soluble in water. It is still prepared according to the original procedure from 1909.