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Author: Subject: indigo carmine synthesis
nuchem
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[*] posted on 30-7-2015 at 11:35
indigo carmine synthesis


I recently got a hold of some indigo dye and I want to turn it into indigo carmine for the Chemical Stop Light experiment.

Do I simply have to sulfinate the indigo, then neutralize it with NaOH? Or is the process a little more complicated than I think?


C16H10N2O2 + 2H2SO4 = C16H10N2O8S2 + 2H2O

C16H10N2O8S2 + 2NaOH = C16H8N2Na2O8S2 + 2H2O
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nuchem
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[*] posted on 5-8-2015 at 12:34
Indigo Carmine


Recently I made a post about Indigo Carmine, and well, I got no bites on it. My guess is because I had it in the wrong category, so now here is my attempt with you organic chemist.

I am trying to synthesis Indigo Carmine, I found some references online to help me get going, but none of them were complete. For example, one source told me how to synthesis "Indigo carmine" but the process itself told me how to make Indigotindisulfonate, which is C16H10N2O8S2... Not the Carmine, which is C16H8N2Na2O8S2

Essentially my question is: does anyone know a solid method of producing Indigo Carmine? If so, can you please post your process?
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Aqua-regia
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[*] posted on 6-8-2015 at 03:27


Do you have indigo?
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MrHomeScientist
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[*] posted on 6-8-2015 at 05:28


Googling "indigo carmine synthesis" yields a few useful results. It seems you just add indigo to concentrated sulfuric acid, heat for a while, then dilute with water to precipitate unreacted indigo. Then presumably you neutralize the solution and let it evaporate to crystallize the carmine. I'm not very experienced with organic chemistry, though. Try it and report back!


The chemical traffic light is a great demonstration. I use it all the time in my educational outreach programs. I discovered that, if you want to let kids shake the flask, indigo carmine is very quickly exhausted. My tests gave out at about 12 careful shakes, but I had one kid destroy the dye with one mighty shake. He was the first one that walked up to the table :mad: The blue bottle is much better for energetic kids - that dye lasts through anything!
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nuchem
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[*] posted on 6-8-2015 at 05:37


@Aqua-regia

Yeah, I got quite a bit of it actually.

@MrHomeScientist

I will give it my best effort and report back to ya!
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Aqua-regia
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[*] posted on 6-8-2015 at 07:33


OK dissolve 2,5 g indigo with 30 ml 96% sulfuric acid and mix in 90 C degrees for half hours. Pour it in 150 ml cold water, and filter. Add to the filtered solution 30 g NaCl and mix again, till the salt complet dissolve.
Put the solution in the fridge for few hours, your indigocarmine will cristallize out. Filter off, wash with conc NaCl solution and dry it. Thats all.

Indigo can sulfonate in mild condition , dont need oleum.



[Edited on 6-8-2015 by Aqua-regia]



[Edited on 6-8-2015 by Aqua-regia]

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nuchem
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[*] posted on 6-8-2015 at 10:51


Thanks Aqua!!
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