Sciencemadness Discussion Board

What to do with extra nitromethane

Rhodanide - 11-10-2016 at 05:23

So, I'm getting 200mL of Nitromethane in the mail this week, and I'd like to know some neat experiments that I can do with it, besides my planned Nitromethanates and Chloropicrin+Bromopicrin. I'd prefer not to do things like ANNM or explosive mixtures like that. Chemicals are fine, but not mixtures. :)

Food for thought.

-Azide

Edit: made title more descriptive

Edit²: Thanks, zts :P

[Edited on 10-11-2016 by zts16]

[Edited on 11-10-2016 by Tetra]

Sulaiman - 11-10-2016 at 08:24

keep a small bottle with your cyanoacrylate superglue in case body parts need de-bonding :P

woelen - 11-10-2016 at 11:55

A nice, but impressive experiment is to add 1 ml of nitromethane to some finely crunched solid NaOH. Just crunch the NaOH quickly (so that it does not attract much water) and then pour the nitromethane on it and quickly step back. You will get autoignition and fire.

I have attempted to make nitronate salts of sodium and potassium. This unfortunately did not succeed, because formation of these only is possible in strictly anhydrous conditions and I could not maintain that condition at the time I did the experiment (appr. a decade ago). Now I cannot do that experiment anymore. Over here, nitromethane is not available anymore (one of the forbidden chemicals with the new anti-terrorism regulations of the EU). You could try to make some of these very interesting salts.

myristicinaldehyde - 11-10-2016 at 14:10

1) Henry condensation with vanillin- Chemplayer has a video. You could then reduce it to the carbonyl with acetic acid and iron turings- should smell nice (http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1055621.html). Some old journals describe it as flowery, mild, and vanilla-like. This is something I am planning to do once the reagents come in.
2) send me some :P
3) Reduce to methylamine, which isn't terribly useful but its an interesting reaction.

Rhodanide - 12-10-2016 at 05:13

Quote: Originally posted by myristicinaldehyde  
1) Henry condensation with vanillin- Chemplayer has a video. You could then reduce it to the carbonyl with acetic acid and iron turings- should smell nice (http://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/rw1055621.html). Some old journals describe it as flowery, mild, and vanilla-like. This is something I am planning to do once the reagents come in.
2) send me some :P


1) Yes, I would do that if I had Vanillin. Sounds nice.
2) It's on eBay, 50$ per gallon! I just needed 200mL and it's a bit more for not bulk, but fun stuff nonetheless.


I plan on: Making methazonic acid with it, halopicrins, Nitromethanates, possibly Nitroform.