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Atomic: M.A.C. | Reference
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Reactions of Nickel
Reactions with water
Nickel does not react with water under normal conditions.
Reactions with air
Nickel does not react with air under ambient conditions. Finely divided nickel metal reacts readily with air and in this form may be pyrophoric. At higher temperatures, the reaction between nickel metal and oxygen appears not to proceed to completion but gives some nickel(II) oxide.
  2Ni(s) + O2(g)2NiO(s)
Reactions with halogens
Nickel does react with fluorine gas but only slowly which makes nickel an important metal for containers of fluorine.
Nickel reacts with chlorine, bromine and iodine to form nickel(II) dihalides.
  Ni(s) + Cl2(g)NiCl2(s)
  Ni(s) + Br2(g)NiBr2(s)
  Ni(s) + I2(g)NiI2(s)
Reactions with acids
Nickel metal dissolves slowly in dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions containing the aquated Ni(II) ion together with hydrogen gas.
  Ni(s) + H2SO4(aq)Ni2+(aq) + SO42-(aq) + H2(g)
Reactions with bases
Nickel does not react with aquaous sodium hydroxide.
Reduction Potentials
Balanced half-reaction E0 / V
Ni2+ + 2e-Ni(s) -0.250
NiO2(s) + 4H+ + 2e-Ni2+ + 2H2O +1.593
NiO2(s) + 2H2O + 2e-Ni(OH)2(s) + 2OH- +0.49
Ni2O3(s) + 6H+ + 2e-2Ni2+ + 3H2O +1.753
Ni3O4(s) + 2H2O + 2e-3HNiO2- + H+ -0.718
Ni3O4(s) + 8H+ + 2e-3Ni2+ + 4H2O +1.977
HNiO2- + 3H+ + 2e-Ni(s) + 2H2O +0.648
Ni(CN)42- + e-Ni(CN)3- + CN- -0.4
NiO42- + 8H+ + 4e-Ni2+ + 4H2O +1.8
Ni(NH3)62+ + 2e-Ni(s) + 6NH3 -0.49
NiS(s) (alpha) + 2e-Ni(s) + S2- +0.76
NiS(s) (gamma) + 2e-Ni(s) + S2- -0.99