Plumbic Acetate, Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₄

Plumbic Acetate, Lead Tetra-acetate, Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₄, is one of the most stable of the plumbic salts. It is obtained by dissolving red lead in warm, concentrated acetic acid. As the solution cools the tetra-acetate separates in white needles. It is also produced by the action of chlorine on a solution of the diacetate:

2Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₂ + Cl₂ = Pb(C₂H₃O₂)₄ + PbCl₂;

and is separated from the chloride formed simultaneously by means of warm acetic acid. The tetra-acetate melts at 175° C., is decomposed by water with the separation of lead dioxide, but is converted by hydrochloric acid into the tetrachloride. The following organic salts of quadrivalent lead have also been prepared:

Plumbic propionate: Pb(C₃H₅O₂)₄
Plumbic n-butyrate: Pb(C₄H₇O₂)₄
Plumbic iso-butyrate: Pb(C₄H₇O₂)₄ M.P. 1O₉° C.
Plumbic palmitate: Pb(C₁₆H₃₁O₂)₄ M.P. 88°-91° C.
Plumbic stearate: Pb(C₁₈H₃₅O₂)₄ M.P. 102°-103° C.