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Author: Subject: Yet even more copper chemistry...
itchyfruit
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[*] posted on 12-9-2009 at 14:02


This all looks rather interesting,is copper thiocyanate as toxic as it sounds?
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woelen
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[*] posted on 12-9-2009 at 14:14


Thiocyanates are not really toxic and do not have to do much with cyanide. Potassium- or sodium thiocyanate and ammonium thiocyanate are easy to obtain chemicals and they can be purchased without any eyebrows raised. They are used extensively in hobby photography, darkroom processes.



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ammonium isocyanate
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[*] posted on 12-9-2009 at 14:18


Quote: Originally posted by itchyfruit  
is copper thiocyanate as toxic as it sounds?

Depends. The thiocyanate anion is much less toxic than the cyanide anion, so much so that back in adv. chem in 10th grade they let us work with it. Copper ions are somewhat toxic, but again nothing compared to cyanide. Sigma Aldrich lists it as Xn and N (harmful and hazardous to the environment), but they don't list any serious safety phases, other than dispose properly, keep away from food, etc.

In summary, I wouldn't be too worried about working with it.

Edit: whoops, looks like I got beaten to it.

[Edited on 12-9-2009 by ammonium isocyanate]




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itchyfruit
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[*] posted on 12-9-2009 at 14:40


Cool !!! i'm quite interested in copper salts myself and i think i have some ammonium thiocyanate.
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JohnWW
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[*] posted on 12-9-2009 at 15:32


The soluble (mainly alkali-metal and ammonium) and volatile (capable of being inhaled, particularly light organic esters) thiocyanates should be more toxic (and more immediately so) than the heavy-metal ones, due to the latter being much less soluble and so less reactive. The latter may be decomposed by stomach acid if ingested, but this would be a relatively slow process (enabling detoxification at the same time) compared to the rapid effects of soluble ionic thiocyanates.

[Edited on 13-9-09 by JohnWW]
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woelen
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[*] posted on 12-9-2009 at 22:44


With the latter I disagree, e.g. lead thiocyanate and mercury thiocyanate are MUCH more toxic than e.g. potassium thiocyanate, simply because of the toxic metal ion, despite their low solubility. Many insoluble thiocyanates easily dissolve in stomach acid (contains dilute HCl), due to formation of HSCN and the consequent release of the toxic heavy metal ion.



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[*] posted on 13-9-2009 at 02:09


Talking about mercury thiocyanate, something really fun can be done with this substance:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-eagMQ6vNE

Not recommended though due to the mercury vapours released, wich are bad for health and environment.
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itchyfruit
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[*] posted on 13-9-2009 at 02:39


Cool, any idea what you end up with? compound wise, i know it looks like a big piece of tree bark.
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DJF90
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[*] posted on 13-9-2009 at 04:45


Thats the basis for the "snakes in the grass" experiment (basically that combined with an ammonium dichromate volcano). Quite interesting, although I'm not sure what the products of the reaction is.
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woelen
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[*] posted on 8-11-2015 at 13:20


I updated my experiments with copper/pyridine/iodide. I now was able to make the complex with green/cyan fluorescence and again made the complex with yellow fluorescence and I made two durable display samples:

http://woelen.homescience.net/science/chem/exps/fluorescent_...

ampoules-fluo.jpg - 155kB




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[*] posted on 8-11-2015 at 14:50


woelen do you have copper cyanide? mixing potasium cyanide with copper sulfate makes copper cyanide but also cyanogen and cyanogen is toxic.will cyanide dissolve copper sponge as easy as dissolving silver sponge?copper cyanide is supposed to be a pale yellow color which precipitates after adding sodium sulphide to copper sulfate but also makes cyanogen,i think.

[Edited on 11-8-2015 by cyanureeves]
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woelen
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[*] posted on 9-11-2015 at 23:56


I do not have copper cyanide. I see no relation with the subject of my previous post. Can CuCN be used to make interesting fluorescent complexes?



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cyanureeves
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[*] posted on 10-11-2015 at 15:45


dont know if if copper cyanide glows with a fluorescent light but i know scorpions do.
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[*] posted on 10-11-2015 at 16:12


Quote: Originally posted by woelen  
I do not have copper cyanide. I see no relation with the subject of my previous post. Can CuCN be used to make interesting fluorescent complexes?


Possibly he is thinking of the use of potassium cupric cyanide in the luminol clock reaction?
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[*] posted on 10-11-2015 at 16:54


no i just saw copper complex and jumped right in because i was curious as to how copper cyanide was made.this thread is about glowing copper only and i just know about the glowing scorpions.at least i know they glow under a black light but fluorescent light might be different maybe.a luminol clock huh?well i'll just go over to google to see what all that is about.
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[*] posted on 20-11-2015 at 07:15


With morpholine, also interesting fluorescence is exhibited. I tried in a similar way as with pyridine, add a solution of morpholine in water to a suspension of CuI in a solution of KI. A pale yellow precipitate is obtained, which gives bright orange light when irradiated with black-light.

I also tried with 2,2-bipyridyl, but this does not give fluorescence. A nice, bright orange/brown precipitate is fomed though. On dilution with water, part of this dissolves, but the color of the remaining material becomes even brighter, red/brown.

I will add this findings to my webpage as well.




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