Where can I find a molecule layout for calcium perchlorate tetrahydrate on Mars?

[zincshow]

The rover on Mars reported on Mars dirt samples, and they talked about calcium perchlorate tetrahydrate. I have been searching for a molecule layout of this chemical (like a pdb or cis style file) that can be viewed in say JMOL with no luck. Does anyone know a good site to get layouts of simple chemical structures such as this?

 

[Yanick]

Link.

If that link doesn't work then use the Wikipedia link. On the right hand side, fourth item under Identifiers, has the Java image.

For what its worth, this post took longer to type than the search for the jmol image. Not sure if that is what you wanted.

 

[zincshow]

Thanks, I don't think the link is correct, it shows calcium in green and has it way off to the left of the ClO4's. It should be between them with the Ca+2 linked to the two O's of the ClO4'S that are not double bonded to the Cl. I also think the bond sizes are wrong as they have the Ca+2 bond to the left of the ClO4 as being way, way toooo long. Ug...

 

[sjb-2812]

As it's (mostly) ionic, it's probably moot exactly which oxygen is "bonded" to the calcium (as they're all equivalent anyway for the anhydrous form). If you want the calcium in the middle you can probably hack the URL to show that. Not sure of the actual crystal structure though, perhaps something like magnesium perchlorate (http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?S0108270111015861 ) or its hydrates (http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/21099020 ) ?

 

[zincshow]

The ICUR site has a .cif file format for Magnesium perchlorate, unfortunately, its above my payscale to read the data.

I have found Webmineral's 3d index of JMOL files http://webmineral.com/jmol/index.shtml and they have some clays there.

The best I found I think is the 3d soil virtual-museum at http://virtual-museum.soils.wisc.edu/kaolinite/index.html, the description of Kaolinite as a common clay are very nice.

On Mars, sounds like they have more Fe (Iron) and Calcium (Ca) in the clay rather then Mg, but I don't know for sure. I also wonder the effect of using the word "tetrahydrate" at the end of these names. Does that imply more water molecules in there and why no pictures of this type?

 

[sjb-2812]

But clays are silicates, rather than perchlorates, generally, I think.

Yes, the tetrahydrate implies there are 4 molecules of water tied up in the lattice as well per mole of ionic salt

 

[mesa]

But clays are silicates, rather than perchlorates, generally, I think.

Yes, the tetrahydrate implies there are 4 molecules of water tied up in the lattice as well per mole of ionic salt

4 whole molecules H₂O per mole of salt eh? :)

 

[sjb-2812]

Oops, you got me, yes, 4 moles water / mole anhydrous ;)