Aluminium amalgam is a solution of aluminium in mercury. In Chemistry, a solution is a Homogeneous Mixture composed of two or more substances WikipediaNaming Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum Aluminium amalgam may be prepared by either grinding aluminium pellets or wire in mercury, or by allowing aluminium wire to react with a solution of mercury(II) chloride in water. Mercury(II chloride or mercuric chloride (formerly corrosive sublimate) is the Chemical compound with the formula HgCl sub>2 [1][2]
This amalgam is used as a chemical reagent to reduce compounds, such as the reduction of imines to amines. A reagent or reactant is a substance or compound consumed during a Chemical reaction. Redox (shorthand for reduction-oxidation reaction describes all Chemical reactions in which atoms have their Oxidation number ( Oxidation state An imine is a Functional group or Chemical compound containing a Carbon – Nitrogen Double bond. Amines are Organic compounds and Functional groups that contain a basic Nitrogen Atom with a Lone pair. Since this reaction produces waste mercury metal, it is best avoided in favor of more environmentally friendly reagents such as hydrides; the mercury-containing reaction waste is troublesome to dispose of as well. Hydride is the name given to the negative Ion of Hydrogen, H−
This reaction was popularized by Alexander Shulgin in his book PiHKAL, but has few virtues beyond being inexpensive and using chemicals that are readily available. Alexander "Sasha" Shulgin (born June 17 1925 in Berkeley, California) is a Russian-American Pharmacologist, Chemist and PiHKAL is a 1991 book by Dr Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin about Psychedelic Phenethylamines The full title of the book
Reactivity
Aluminium in air is ordinarily protected by a molecule-thin layer of its own oxide which is not porous to oxygen. Mercury coming into contact with this oxide does no harm. However, if any elemental aluminium is exposed (even by a recent scratch), the mercury may combine with it, starting the process described above, and potentially damaging a large part of the aluminium before it finally ends (Ornitz 1998).
The net result is similar to the mercury electrodes often used in electrochemistry, except instead of providing electrons from an electrical supply they are provided by the aluminium which becomes oxidized in the process. Electrochemistry is a branch of Chemistry that studies Chemical reactions which take place in a Solution at the interface of an electron conductor The reaction that occurs at the surface of the amalgam may actually be a hydrogenation rather than a reduction.
The presence of water in the solution is reportedly helpful—even necessary; the electron rich amalgam will oxidize aluminium and reduce H+ from water, creating aluminium hydroxide (Al(OH)3) and hydrogen gas (H2).
Due to the reactivity of aluminium amalgam, restrictions are placed on the use and handling of mercury in proximity with aluminium. In particular, mercury is not allowed aboard aircraft under most circumstances because of the risk of it forming amalgam with exposed aluminium parts in the aircraft. In the Second World War, mercury was used to sabotage aircraft. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including
References
- ^ Ward Chesworth (1971). "Use of aluminum-amalgam in mineral synthesis at low temperatures and 1 atmosphere total pressure". Clays and Clay Minerals 19: 337–339. doi:. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.
- ^ Lourdes Muñoz, Esmeralda Rosa, Ma Pilar Bosch and Angel Guerrero (2005). "A new, practical and efficient sulfone-mediated synthesis of trifluoromethyl ketones from alkyl and alkenyl bromides". Tetrahedron Letters 46 (19): 3311–3313. Tetrahedron Letters is a weekly international journal for rapid publication of full original research papers in the field of Organic chemistry. doi:. A digital object identifier ( DOI) is a permanent identifier given to an Electronic document.
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