Hi, I attempted this reaction yesterday evening. It was my first synthesis, the whole experience was a bit scary to be honest
I made a bunch of mistakes and I have a few questions before I attempt this again. Thanks in advance to anyone who can help me out!
First, when I opened the bottle of n-butylamine, white smoke started coming out. This freaked me out, but I proceeded anyway. Could somebody please clarify if this is expected? Do I need special storage conditions for the n-butylamine? It was stored at room temperature in a garden shed, should I store it in a fridge instead?
When I opened the bottle of benzaldehyde, I was taken aback by how strong the smell is. I left the door open so I could breathe, but the smell was probably noticeable by neighbors. I think next time it would be best to use a respirator and only open the door in the middle of the night when people are asleep, what do you think?
I haven't crystallized the P2NP yet, but I'm wondering how to dispose of the remnants of the solution. I suppose it contains the reagents that haven't reacted, so I should probably avoid flushing it down the drain directly. But then what's left? Is there a way to neutralize the reagents and then flush it?
All 3 bottles of nitroethane, benzaldehyde, and n-butylamine have been opened and closed, so the reagents have been in contact with air. Is there some sort of expiration date before they become unusable?
![Grinning face with sweat :sweat_smile: 😅](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/6.5/png/unicode/64/1f605.png)
First, when I opened the bottle of n-butylamine, white smoke started coming out. This freaked me out, but I proceeded anyway. Could somebody please clarify if this is expected? Do I need special storage conditions for the n-butylamine? It was stored at room temperature in a garden shed, should I store it in a fridge instead?
When I opened the bottle of benzaldehyde, I was taken aback by how strong the smell is. I left the door open so I could breathe, but the smell was probably noticeable by neighbors. I think next time it would be best to use a respirator and only open the door in the middle of the night when people are asleep, what do you think?
I haven't crystallized the P2NP yet, but I'm wondering how to dispose of the remnants of the solution. I suppose it contains the reagents that haven't reacted, so I should probably avoid flushing it down the drain directly. But then what's left? Is there a way to neutralize the reagents and then flush it?
All 3 bottles of nitroethane, benzaldehyde, and n-butylamine have been opened and closed, so the reagents have been in contact with air. Is there some sort of expiration date before they become unusable?