Just thought i'd share my progress since i started 13 days ago.
First of all there seems to be a lot more stuff in my shed, and a bit less money in the bank.
Theory :-
Atomic structure/electron shell configurations
Bonding types
Atomic weight/Molarity
Ideal Gas Law
Techniques tried :-
Reacting stuff in a pot without damaging or losing body parts
Reacting stuff in a pot and catching the gas evolved
Electrolysis
Filtering
Titration
Crystallisation/recrystallisation
Substances made (as far as i can tell) :-
Copper Sulphate
Tetra Cloro Cuprate*
Tetra Ammine Copper(II) Sulphate*
Copper (II) Hydrogen Carbonate*
Copper Nitrate
Ammonia
Ferric Acetate
Aluminium Sulphate
Copper Acetate (failed - could not decide which bit was the product)
Sodium Aluminate (failed and broke the flask trying to remove the grey sludge)
Next things to try will be :-
Distillation
Intensive Cleaning Up and/or buy new glassware
All been great fun so far !
Suggestions on 'What To Do Next' always gratefully received.
(items marked with * were made using some of the huge volume of Copper Sulphate solution)gdflp - 7-4-2014 at 06:16
Just an fyi, metal hydrogen carbonates are not stable. I presume you reacted copper sulfate and sodium bicarbonate in which case the following
reaction occurred : 2NaHCO3 + CuSO4 --> CuCO3 + H2O + CO2
The copper carbonate formed quickly hydrolyzes into basic copper carbonate : 2CuCO3 + H2O -->
Cu2CO3(OH)2 + CO2
[Edited on 7-4-2014 by gdflp]aga - 7-4-2014 at 06:20
I presume you reacted copper sulfate and sodium bicarbonate
That's exactly what i did !
So it's CuCO3 Copper (II) Carbonate then ?
That was the first one to work properly, as in it's now a dry turqoise powder in a jar.gdflp - 7-4-2014 at 06:23
Yes only group I bicarbonates are stable in solid form, some other bicarbonates are stable in solution only but decompose upon crystallization into
the carbonate.
[Edited on 7-4-2014 by gdflp]Zyklon-A - 7-4-2014 at 06:23
As soon as you mix the solutions, copper bicarbonate is formed, but it decomposes spontaneously to the carbonate.Texium - 7-4-2014 at 07:48
It will form as the basic carbonate though, getting the pure carbonate takes a lot more effort and processes that are impractical in most home labs.
What you have is Cu2CO3(OH)2, basic copper carbonate.Bert - 7-4-2014 at 07:50
For some related fun, you could react (Sodium free!) Copper carbonate with food grade benzoic acid dissolved into a minimum amount of distilled water
to yield Carbon dioxide (bubbles out of solution & escapes) and Copper benzoate (insoluble, precipitates)-
Suggestions on 'What To Do Next' always gratefully received.
Two simple but nice experiments you could try are:
1. Synthesis of ammoniumiron(III)sulphate. Grows large lilac crystals. Environment should not be too dry to keep them.
2. Synthesis of hexamolybdatochromate(III). This is a beautiful chameleon reaction going from a bluish starting solution to green as soon as mixed.
Then through light green/yellow, grey/brownish, purple to a final pink solution, out of which crystals form on longer standing.
The exact colours you will encounter depend on the condition details.
The final product, (NH4)3H6[Cr(MoO4)6]·7H2O is obtained by mixing stoichiometric amounts of chrome alum and ammoniumheptamolybdate (molar 7:6).
[Edited on 7-4-2014 by Bezaleel]aga - 7-4-2014 at 10:45
For some related fun, you could react (Sodium free!) Copper carbonate with food grade benzoic acid dissolved into a minimum amount of distilled water
to yield Carbon dioxide (bubbles out of solution & escapes) and Copper benzoate (insoluble, precipitates)-
1. Synthesis of ammoniumiron(III)sulphate. Grows large lilac crystals. Environment should not be too dry to keep them.
2. Synthesis of hexamolybdatochromate(III). This is a beautiful chameleon reaction going from a bluish starting solution to green as soon as mixed.
... The exact colours you will encounter depend on the condition details.
The final product, (NH4)3H6[Cr(MoO4)6]·7H2O is obtained by mixing stoichiometric amounts of chrome alum and ammoniumheptamolybdate (molar 7:6).
Wicked ! I will order the stuff for that. Cheers !gardul - 22-10-2014 at 12:36
Boric acid and methanol alcohol. Add some copper and you get an interesting Blue base and green flame. Just be careful. If you need to know how to
make boric acid I or someone else here i am sure will be happily to show you. it is rather simple.
