Thallium oxide

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thallium oxide is the general name of several oxides of thallium. The most common is Tl₂O in which thallium is in its +1 oxidation state. Other oxides of thallium include TlO₂, Tl₄O₃ and Tl₂O₃.

Thallium(I) oxide (Tl₂O) is black and produces a basic yellow solution of thallium(I) hydroxide (TlOH) when dissolved in water. It is formed by heating solid TlOH or Tl₂CO₃ in the absence of air. Thallium oxide is used to make special high refractive index glass. Research is continuing into the use of thallium oxide in high temperature superconductors.