A black solid is reshaping the competitive landscape of China's precious metals industry — its price rivals that of platinum, it has high technological barriers, and it has long been monopolized by European and American giants; yet it is indispensable, appearing in everything from the synthesis of anti-cancer drugs to aerospace fuel cells. This is ruthenium(III) chloride (RuCl₃), hailed as the 'platinum-group black gold' of the catalysis world.
Product Introduction: Ruthenium trichloride, as one of the most important ruthenium compounds, has the chemical formula RuCl₃. At room temperature, it appears as dark black granules or reddish-brown crystals and has a strong hygroscopic property.
Chemical Properties: The Versatile and Active Ruthenium Core
Ruthenium trichloride is far from an ordinary salt, and its characteristics make it irreplaceable in high-end applications:
1. Multiple Structural Forms
- α form: Black solid, insoluble in water and ethanol, stable in chlorine at 700°C
- β form: Brown solid, density 3.11 g/cm³, decomposes above 500°C
- Hydrated form (RuCl₃·xH₂O): The mainstream form on the market, dark black granules or reddish-brown crystals, hygroscopic, decomposes at 200°C in air
2. Special Reactivity
- Solubility: Dissolves in water to give a wine-red color, decomposes in hot water; soluble in alcohol, acetone, and ethyl acetate
- Complexing ability: As a Lewis acid, can activate C-C bonds of alkenes/alkynes, forming catalytically active intermediates such as [RuCl₂(alkene)]₂
- Redox behavior: Can be reduced to metallic ruthenium nanoparticles in a hydrogen atmosphere at 300°C, with particle size controllable around 3 nm
3. Stability Challenges
The main technical difficulty of this compound lies in its hygroscopic and thermally sensitive nature:
- Rapidly absorbs moisture and clumps when exposed to air
- Gradually decomposes in aqueous solution above 90°C
- Light exposure promotes reduction reactions
This requires humidity and light control throughout production and usage, with Lizhu Pharmaceutical addressing storage and transport challenges through sealed packaging.
Application Areas: The "Invisible Engine" of High-End Industries
1. Catalysis: An Efficient Driver of Chemical Reactions
The most important application of ruthenium trichloride is as a catalyst precursor:
- Petrochemicals: Improves oil product purity in hydrodesulfurization (HDS) and hydrodenitrogenation (HDN)
- Pharmaceutical Synthesis: Used in the chiral synthesis of cisplatin analogs, reducing the formation of by-products
- Environmental Technology: Supported ruthenium catalysts treat phenol-containing wastewater, achieving COD removal rates >98%
2. New Energy and Electronics Industry
- Fuel Cells: Used to prepare anode coatings for PEM electrolyzers, enhancing oxygen evolution reaction (OER) efficiency
- Perovskite Solar Cells: Added as a hole transport layer additive to improve photovoltaic conversion efficiency
- Chip Manufacturing: Used in ruthenium barrier layer plating solutions for semiconductor copper interconnects to prevent copper diffusion
3. Precious Metal Plating
Forms on the surface of high-end electronic components:
- Ultra-thin ruthenium coating (0.1-0.3 μm)
- Resistivity as low as 7.1 μΩ·cm
- Vickers hardness ≥800 HV
Becoming a core protective technology for 5G communication devices and aerospace connectors.
Post time: Dec-09-2025
