Sodium germanate


Sodium germanate is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula Na2GeO3. It exists as a colorless solid. Sodium germanate is primarily used for the synthesis of other germanium compounds.

Preparation and reactions

Sodium germanate can be prepared by the fusion of germanium oxide with sodium hydroxide at high temperatures:
An intermediate in this reaction is the protonated derivative NaHGeO3, which is a water-soluble salt.

Structure

it is structurally analogous to sodium metasilicate, Na2SiO3, consisting of polymeric GeO32− anions made up of vertex sharing tetrahedra.