Tdep - 26-5-2013 at 16:50
"Hydrazoic acid is formed (1) by reaction of ethyl or amyl nitrite in NaOH solution (sodium azide formed)"
Just came across this in the azide thread, is it right? I found quite a big bottle of 'sweet spirit of nitre', made in the 1950s and left abandonded
on the shelf for many a year.
It's all theorectical thinking at the moment, but is getting sodium azide from this as easy as a alkaline reflux with this stuff???
chemcam - 26-5-2013 at 17:13
I don't think that is right, an addition of NaOH solution to any alkyl nitrite would probably give sodium nitrite and the alcohol you started with. I
would be a very happy guy if it was correct but I'm fairly certain it is not. Unless you have access to sodium amide or hydrazine there is no simple
way to sodium azide.
Ral123 - 26-5-2013 at 20:22
One must have both the nitrite and the hydrazine.
Fantasma4500 - 3-6-2013 at 06:42
i recall azide synthesis as being sodium metal + ammonia (anhydrous tho)
sodium amide + N2O > NaN3
biggest problem on this of what i see would be getting truly anhydrous ammonia, (NH4)2CO3 could be used for this i guess, if you let the ammonia run
through the vessel some time first..?
i have heard it as needed actually liquid ammonia but if you spread the sodium metal out somehow (chipped metal?)
it should be do-able without needing cold toxic anhydrous ammonia