so it is.....

Im sure your formilar with the novel dissolving metals thread..... Guess its not so novel is it?


Damnit.... A Balloon.... Why didn't I think of that.

What balloon to use that would not be attacked by ammonia though would be the most pressing question. You fuck that up and a shitload of NH3 is released at once possibly killing you.

Im considering a test on a ballon in aq NH₃. This is not exactly something you would want to get wrong because a ballon full of NH₃ popping in your face could be a very bad day even if it didn't sufficate you. Think about what it would be like to get lye splashed in your face. Utmost care should be taken but I see no reason why is will not work. I am a bit disturbed that Phenol underwent no reaction but other then that it does not appear to bad.

Puting Procedure One into proportions that fit Pseudoephedrine we get,

 57.8304 grams of Pseudoephedrine  
 7.21864 grams of Lithium
 Stir for 5 hours.

A slight excess of Lithium as Procedure Two suggest appears to produce higher yeilds. If I where to do something as silly as make drugs I would also add a bit more excess to dry the ether and NH3 prior to the addition of the Substrate. A longer stir time would also be recommended.

This will also open a whole new field for underground chemist by making birch reductions a common place entity instead of having the dangers and struggles associated with liquid ammonia. This will also aid the chemist that has NH₃ on tap because they will be able to perform a birch much easier and use less NH3.

Enough talk though, can someone suggest an alternative to Pseudoephedrine that would behave in the same fashion so the test can be performed legaly? 1-phenyl-ethanol would be the prime suspect but I am unaware how to get this. H₂SO₄ on styrene seems like it could be an option but I hate performing one reaction just to test another.

I was talking about soaking the balloon in aq NH₃ to see if it decomposed the balloon. I do not want to fill it up and find out that the rubber is not chemicaly resistant to Ammonia.

Errrrr

The balloon needs to withstand NH3. Instead of testing it by filling up a balloon with gas and having it blow up in my face burning and sufficating me I wanted to soak it in Aq NH3 solution also known as ammonia hydroxide. This should give me a good enough Idea if the thing will be damaged by ammonia or a strong base. Before attempting it one should try a NaOH soak and a NH3 soak to test its resistance to Base and ammonia. There is always the option of filling it up with gas and praying but I surely do not want to be around when that thing pops.

I also was thinking of the possibility of performing this reaction in super cold temperatures. Once in the balloon NH3 would condense if you could get the flask cold enough. I have proven snow and HCl to reach below these temperatures and CaCl2 is suppose to be able to as well. If you covered the flask with a balloon of NH3 and submerged it in super cold solution you would have instant Liquid NH3 without the need for an appropriate condenser.

Laboratory use of anhydrous ammonia (gas or liquid)  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ammonia
Anhydrous ammonia is classified as toxic (T) and dangerous for the environment (N). The gas is flammable (autoignition temperature: 651 °C) and can form explosive mixtures with air (16—25%). The permissible exposure limit (PEL) in the United States is 50 ppm (35 mg/m3), while the IDLH concentration is estimated at 300 ppm. Repeated exposure to ammonia lowers the sensitivity to the smell of the gas: normally the odour is detectable at concentrations of less than 50 ppm, but desensitised individuals may not detect it even at concentrations of 100 ppm. Anhydrous ammonia corrodes copper- and zinc-containing alloys, and so brass fittings should not be used for handling the gas. Liquid ammonia can also attack rubber and certain plastics.

Ammonia reacts violently with the halogens. Nitrogen triiodide, a primary high explosive, is formed when ammonia comes in contact with iodine. Ammonia causes the explosive polymerisation of ethylene oxide. It also forms explosive fulminating compounds with compounds of gold, silver, mercury, germanium or tellurium, and with stibine. Violent reactions have also been reported with acetaldehyde, hypochlorite solutions, potassium ferricyanide and peroxides.