I'm glad it worked for you Ritter and thanks for the props! The write up is excellent, and the commentary worth while. Great job.
That Ultrasonic crap:
From "The Journal of the American Chemical Soceity", yr 1987, Vol 109,
pages 3459-3461
"Hetrogeneous Sonocatalysis with Nickel Powder
We have discovered that ultrasonic irradition of Ni powder increases
it's activity as a hydrogenation catalyst by >10^5. ...
The use of high-intensity ultrasound to initiate or enhance both
homogeneous and hetrogeneous chemical reactions has been under
intense investigation [1-7],...
Simple Ni powder is an extremely inactive catalyst for hydrogenation of
alkenes. Even after 2 X 10^4 min, no alkanes are deteacted with rapid
stirring under 1 atm of H2 at 273 K (i.e., <10 nM/min). In comparison
under the same conditions, if the nickel was first irradiated with
ultrasound [12], 1-nonene is hydrogenated at millimolar per min rates,
as shown on Figure 1. Ultrasonic pretreatment of ~1 h gives optimal
activity, which decreases with longer irradiation. The hydrogenation
activity is quite general and shows little dependance on the choice of
alkene... ; no reduction of ketones or aldehydes was observed.
Other methods of creating active Ni catalysts exsist [13]. The thermal
hydrogenation rates at 1 atm of H2 and 273 K with high surface area Ni
sponge (Raney Ni [13a], Aldrich Chemicals, grade W-2) are comparable
to those obtained eith ultrasoniclly activated Ni powder. Compared to
Raney Ni, however, our activaed Ni powder is more selective
(C-O double bonds are untouched), much easier to produce, and much
simpler to handle (nonpryophoric). Activation of Ni powders by H2 at
150 C and 10 atm will also generate reactive catalysts [13b], which
rapidily lose activity upon exposure to O2.
..."
[1] Adv, Organomet. Chem. 1986, 25, 73. (b) Modern Syth. Methods 1986,
4, 1. (c) Ultrasound: Its Chemical, Physical and Boilogical Effects
1987. (d) J Chem. Ed. 1986, 63, 427. (e) Ultrasonics 1985, 23, 157.
[2] J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1983, 105, 5781. (b) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1983,
105, 6042. (c) High Energy Processes in Organomettalic Chemistry,
American Chemical Society 1987, p 191.
[3] High Energy Processes in Organomettalic Chemistry, American
Chemical Society 1987, pp 209-222. (b) Organometallics 1986, 5, 1257.
(c) Nachr. Chem. Tech. Lab. 1983, 31, 797. (d) J Org. Chem. 1982,
5030.
[4] Ultrsonics 1987, 25, 40. (b) Tetrahedron Lett. 1986, 27, 3149.
(c) J. Org. Chem. 1985, 50, 910, 5761. (d) J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 1980,
102, 7926.
[5] Angew. Chem., Intl. Ed. Engl. 1983, 22, 728. (b) J. Am. Chem. Soc.
1984, 106, 6856.
[6] Ultrasonics 1987, 25, 45. (b) J. Lab. Pract. 1984, 33, 13 and
references therein.
[7] Tetrahedron Lett. 1986, 27, 415. (b) J. Am. Oil Chem. Soc. 1983,
60, 1257. (c) Chim. Ind. (Milan 1968, 50, 314.
[12] All sonications were performed with a Heat Systems-Ultrasonics
W375 cell disruptor with a titanium immersion horn at acoustic
intensties of ~50 W/cm^2 at 20KHz, as described elesewher in
detail [2]. Irradiation in a low-intenstity ultrasonic cleaning bath
does give hydrogenation, but at greatly reduced rates. Hydrogenation
reactions were carried out at 273 K under 1 atm of H2. In a typical
reaction, 1 g of Ni powder (200 mesh, EM Science, Cherry Hill, NJ
08034) was added to a 10% solution of alkene in octane. ...
[13] Reagents for Organic Synthesis 1967, by Fieser, L. F., Vol. 1,
pp 723-731. (b) Thomas, C. L., Catalytic Porcesses and Proven
Catalysts 1970, pp 126-133. (c) Somorjai, G. A.; Chemistry in Two
Dimensions: Surfaces; 1981, pp 445-447 (d) J. Phys. Chem. 1983, 87,
915. (e) High Energy Process in Organicmetallic Chemistry,
... pp 223-245.
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I have only one question about the procedure that you've stated: You say "At this point Urishubara nickel catalyst is prepared and ready for reduction." But in the above passage you never describe activating the Ni powder with a either a caustic or acidic wash.
Did you take the Ni preceptitated with the Al and wash it before the addition of the nitro- and the conc. HCl?
Also I assume you are using 36% (by weight or 12 M) HCl.
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Precipitated Nickel powder was added to 100ml 20% NaOH soln and manually stirred at 60'C for 30 min.
The 1st paragraph ends with ppt Ni in EtOH soln. Does one have to filter off the Ni or could one also pour the 20% NaOH directly into the EtOH ? If it has to be filtered, what would be the best way to do so ?
--psyloxy--