Ammonia → Silver behenate

Participants

Reaction Steps

3.4 g of behenic acid was dissolved in 100 ml of benzene at a temperature of 60° C, and the solution was adjusted to a temperature of 60° C). While stirring, 100 ml of water was added to the above solution to produce an emulsion. Aqueous ammonia was added to 80 ml of an aqueous solution containing 1.7 g of silver nitrate to prepare silver-ammonium complex, and then water was further added to make the total volume 100 ml. The resulting silver-ammonium complex-containing solution which was chilled at a temperature of 10° C was added to the above emulsion, resulting in the formation of crystallites of silver behenate. This mixed solution was warmed to ordinary temperature (25° C), and allowed to stand for 20 minutes. The solution separated into an aqueous phase and a benzene phase. After removal of the aqueous phase, the benzene phase was washed with 400 ml of water by decantation. 400 ml of methanol was, then, added to the benzene phase, from which silver behenate was collected by centrifuging. 4 g of spindle-like silver behenate crystals of a longer diameter of about 3 μ and a shorter diameter of about 1 μ were obtained.

Provenance & Evidence