I've been reading up on Birch Li/ammonia reactions, and everything was answered more or less.
one thing I wanted to show you was this:
http://mattson.creighton.edu/MicrowaveMethod/index.html
It's prepared by NH3OH, ammonia water of unknown (to me) %, and the product is presumably hydrated. But would contain a maximum of 1ml water since it was 1cc as the feedstock, right?
In my reading it was said that the reason ammonia water can't be used is because the OH consumes the Li at a rate of .33g per ml of H2O present. Thats not so bad is it?
Could Al be used to dehydrate?
What about using a syringe preparation like that as a starting point, and freezing it in-place and passing it through a drying tube?
Another query was about alternatives to ammonium chloride or nitrate. Are compounds which require heat, and decompose to release NH3 useable?
Such as Tetraamminecopper Sulfate [14283-05-7]
Additional name(s): Cuprammonium sul fate; ammonium cupric sulfate; cupric sulfate, ammoniated; Eau Molecular formula: CuH 12 N 4 O 4 S Molecular weight: Percent Composition: Cu 27.90%, H 5.31%, N 24.60%, O 28.10%, S Line Formula: [Cu(NH 3 ) 4 ]SO 4 Literature references: Prepd by dissolving copper sulfate in ammonia water and pptg with alcohol: Mazzi, Acta Cryst. 8, 137 (1955). Crystal structure of monohydrate: Morosin, ibid 25B, 19 (1969). Derivative: Properties: large, dark blue crystals. d 4 20 1.81 . Ammonia odor, dec in air. Loses H 2 O and 2NH 3 on heating to 120degrees, remaining 2NH 3 at 160degrees. Soly in water at 21.5degrees: 18.5 g/100 ml. Practically insol in the lower alcohols. Density: d 4 20 USE: In textile printing, especially in calico finishing. As fungicide.