What are Clatharate hydrate? Explain it with suitable example.
Answer»
Gas hydrates in which the guest molecules are not bonded chemically but retained by the structure of host is called Clatharates.
Water forms clatharate hydrates, e.g., methane hydrate (CH420H2O) which arc a type of ice that will bum when a lit match is held to it.
The structure of methane hydrate is made of linked polyhedra that contains 20 hydrogen bonded water molecules forming a cage in which methane molecule is trapped.
Deposits of methane clatharates occur naturally in deep sea bed.
Hydrates are commonly obtained when water is frozen in presence of a gas such as argon, methane, etc.