What is "molybdic acid"

n. (context chemistry English) the hydrated form of molybdenum trioxide, H₂MoO₄

Molybdic acid refers to solid, hydrated forms of molybdenum trioxide and species in aqueous solution.

The simplest solid form, the monohydrate, is MoO·HO, though the dihydrate (MoO·2HO) is also known. The solid state structure of MoO·HO consists of layers of octahedrally coordinated MoO·(HO) units where 4 vertices are shared. The dihydrate has the same layer structure with the extra HO molecule intercalated between the layers.

In aqueous solutions of acidified molybdate salts low concentration molecular OMo·3HO has been characterised spectroscopically.

The salts of molybdic acid are called molybdates.

Molybdic acid and its salts are used to make the Froehde reagent for the presumptive identification of alkaloids.