Lead chloride (PbCl₂) is an inorganic compound which is a white solid under ambient conditions. It is poorly soluble in water. Lead(II) chloride is one of the most important lead

Lead

Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...

-based reagent

Reagent

A reagent is a "substance or compound that is added to a system in order to bring about a chemical reaction, or added to see if a reaction occurs." Although the terms reactant and reagent are often used interchangeably, a reactant is less specifically a "substance that is consumed in the course of...

s. It also occurs naturally in the form of the mineral cotunnite

Cotunnite

Cotunnite is the natural mineral form of lead chloride with formula PbCl2.It was first described in 1825 from an occurrence on Mount Vesuvius, Naples Province, Campania, Italy. It was named for Domenico Cotugno , Italian physician and Professor of Anatomy.It was first recognized in volcanic...

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In solid PbCl₂, each lead ion is coordinated by 9 chloride ions – 6 lie at the apices of a trigonal prism and 3 lie beyond the centers of each prism face.