draculic acid69 - 18-1-2023 at 03:37
So I tried making some magnesium proline salt from proline and some cheap magnesium ribbon and straight away started smelling pyrrolidine which I
thought was very unlikely to happen. The smell is very unmistakable. This magnesium also let's off weird smells when mixed with acetic acid, possibly
even small amounts of h2s(I'm guessing impurity in the magnesium) . Is there a chance magnesium can reduce carboxyl groups or is there another
explanation? Thoughts, comments, experiences
clearly_not_atara - 18-1-2023 at 09:50
Seems plausible that you're just generating a lot of heat at the reaction surface leading to thermal decarboxylation of the proline. I could also
channel AJKOER and propose a single-electron transfer mechanism:
RCOOH + e- (Mg) >> RCOO- + H*
RCOOH + H* <<>> H2 + RCOO* (reversible)
RCOO* >> R* + CO2 (irreversible)
R* + H* >> RH
draculic acid69 - 18-1-2023 at 16:31
Not much heat is being generated with the Mg+proline, but Mg+citric+acetic got so hot it disfigured the pet bottle it was being mixed in