Question

How do we perform reactions with LIQUID ammonia? Can anyone give me practical tips?

Answer 1

Well you need a dry-ice acetone condenser.....

Explanation:

...and of course you need dry ice to perform the reaction.

You see the condenser on the right hand side; its well is filled with dry-ice, and the dry-ice is irrigated with acetone or ethanol, and this brings the interior of the condenser down to `-78` `""^@C`, which is cold enuff to condense ammonia from a cylinder, i.e. `"boiling point of ammonia"=-44` `""^@C`. (Note that I think ethanol spits less than the acetone!) Note also that the condenser is NOT dead-ended; it probably leads to a bubbler...when you use compressed gas of any sort it is vital that you do not dead-end the gas supply. What do I mean by this, and why shouldn't you do it?

When you condense ammonia this way, the ammoniacal solution usually has too high a vapour pressure to allow transfer of reagents by cannula; you could use a dropping funnel. Anyway, you should canvas the opinions of senior members of your lab, or the lab next door, and you will find someone that is very familiar with the experiment.

When I use to do these reactions, I had to order in dry ice, and of course, while I was setting up the apparatus some blighter would pinch all the dry ice...and leave you to use liquid nitrogen (and your supervizor will give you a beatdown for this).

Anyway, look to your senior colleagues. Someone will have done this reaction and they will guide you; you have to buy them a beer on a Friday night, and pick their brains. You will have difficulty shutting them up.