The formation of lead(II) chloride complexes to 300°C: A spectrophotometric study

The spectra of chlorolead(II) complexes in the ultraviolet region have been measured in acid chloride solutions from 0.0012 to 3.223 m and at temperatures from 25 to 300°C. The thermodynamic cumulative and stepwise formation constants as well as the spectra of the individual chlorolead(II) species have been calculated from the spectrophotometric data. At 25°C, the five species PbCl^2?n_n (0 ≤ n ≤ 4) occur, however, at 300°C the predominant species were PbCl⁺, PbCl⁰₂ and PbCl^?₃. Pb²⁺ occurs as a minor species in dilute solutions where total chloride is <0.003 m at 300°C and the presence of PbCl^2?₄ in concentrated solutions was not detected above 150°C. With increasing temperature, chlorolead(II) complex stability is characterised by large endothermic enthalpies and large positive entropies of formation. Lead(II) chloride complexes are important in the transport and deposition of lead by hydrothermal ore solutions of moderate to high salinity.