Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Electron solvents

chornedsnorkack - 2-6-2013 at 22:26

Electron is reasonably metastable in ammonia, and can dissolve at large concentrations. But there are some other electron solvents - like methyl amine and ethyl amine.

All of the above are gases.

Are there any other electron solvents? Like other amines?

Which amines are proven unable to dissolve electrons?


Nicodem - 3-6-2013 at 05:58

Polyglymes work to some extent, if what you mean is dissolution of alkali metals and their dissociation to solvated cations and electrons. UTFSE for references - this has already been discussed.

Methylamine and ethylamine are not gases at the temperatures where alkali solutions in liquid ammonia are stable. As far as I know, only polyglymes give relatively stable solutions of alkali metals at room temperature. The solubility increases with the length of the polyglyme, but you can get enough dissolution of potassium already in diglyme to give the characteristic blue color of the solvated electrons (though not much is needed to get that color).

AndersHoveland - 3-6-2013 at 09:34

ethylene diamine, and probably N,N-Diisopropylethylamine

[Edited on 3-6-2013 by AndersHoveland]

chornedsnorkack - 4-6-2013 at 04:59

I understand that electrons are poorly solvated in polyglymes - they, like crown ethers, function by being good solvents to the cations and dragging the electron into solution despite being poorly solvated.

Are crown ethers themselves, like 15-crown-5, good solvents for electrons?

Also, how easily will electron solutions react with solid peroxides and hyperoxides?

Since polyglymes and crown ethers do have oxidizable carbon, and can burn. Are the mixtures of polyglymes/crowns soaked into solid peroxides/hyperoxides sensitive to ignition and detonation?