SWID was curious what nitroethane smelled like. MERCK describes it as "pleasant odor". Is it a little chloroform-like?
SWID was wondering, since he ran a small (3.25g EtBr) batch in acetone, that being the only polar non-protic solvent available (well, DMSO is available, but the stench of it seems to stick to everything for weeks). Anyways, SWID was curious if it would work.
3.25g EtBr, 3.6g NaNO2, and 75mL Acetone were added to a small 250ml Erylenmeyer with a cross-shaped stir bar. This was allowed to stir vigorously for ~12 hours. After that, the solution was filtered to remove remaining NaN02 (and hopefully a bit of NaBr), and the acetone distilled off. What remains in the flask is about 2mL of a yellow liquid, along with some precipitated salt. The smell is vaguely chloroform-ish in nature. SWID is currently trying to figure out a way to distill such a small amount of liquid.
