Sunday, November 20, 2011

What is Osmium Tetroxide

Osmium Tetroxide(also called osmium tetraoxide) is  a fixative (preservative) for proteins and phosphoglycerides. It appears as a colorless to pale yellow crystalline solid with an odor that has been described as pungent or chlorine-like (odor threshold 0.0019 ppm). There are two solid allotropes, each with its own physical properties. It is with the formula OsO4. It also has a number of interesting properties, one being that the solid is volatile. This compound is noteworthy for its many uses, despite the rarity of osmium.
Characters:
It is slightly soluble in water, soluble in ethanol, ether, carbon tetrachloride, ammonia. It is fat soluble and is reduced to black osmium dioxide by unsaturated fats. Saturated fats in a specimen may be dissolved out in dehydration or embedding, the blackened unsaturated fats remaining. It is used to stabilize and stain cell constituents and as a preparation be prefixed with glutaraldehyde and post-fixed with osmium tetroxide to increase the extent of preservation.
Molecular formula: OsO4
Molecular weight: 254.20
Application:
It is used as a redox catalyst in organic synthesis. It is also used to stabilize and stain cell constituents. Often a preparation is prefixed with glutaraldehyde and post-fixed with osmium tetroxide to increase the extent of preservation.
More about: Osmium Tetroxide Sale
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