Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Selenium Nitride

symboom - 4-12-2020 at 21:54

Here is an interesting energetic compound
Selenium nitride obtained as a brick-red amorphous powder which, when dry, is highly explosive, detonating violently on slight touch, forming a cloud of red selenium; it is considerably more sensitive than mercury fulminate.

12SeCl4 + 64NH3 = 3Se4N4 + 48NH4Cl + 2N2.

first obtained in 1859 by saturating selenium tetrachloride with ammonia in the cold
2. may also be prepared by passing a stream of dry ammonia into a 2 to 4 per cent, solution of selenyl chloride in benzene. 
3. The action of liquid ammonia on selenium tetrabromide in the presence of carbon disulphide gives a good yield of the nitride.

Source atomistry.com

[Edited on 5-12-2020 by symboom]

vano - 7-12-2020 at 06:49

Quote: Originally posted by symboom  
Here is an interesting energetic compound
Selenium nitride obtained as a brick-red amorphous powder which, when dry, is highly explosive, detonating violently on slight touch, forming a cloud of red selenium; it is considerably more sensitive than mercury fulminate.

12SeCl4 + 64NH3 = 3Se4N4 + 48NH4Cl + 2N2.

first obtained in 1859 by saturating selenium tetrachloride with ammonia in the cold
2. may also be prepared by passing a stream of dry ammonia into a 2 to 4 per cent, solution of selenyl chloride in benzene. 
3. The action of liquid ammonia on selenium tetrabromide in the presence of carbon disulphide gives a good yield of the nitride.

Source atomistry.com

[Edited on 5-12-2020 by symboom]


Very interesting compound. I know it is a orange-yellow solid. I have selenium and selenium dioxide but not tetrabromode or tetrachloride. Have you tried to do it?

symboom - 7-12-2020 at 07:27

I tried making selenyl chloride in benzene. But the product had too much water in it. I was adding HCl gas to selenium and selenium dioxide (made from the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and selenium) in a solution of benzene. I made the HCl gas with hydrochloric acid on calcium chloride I guess I need a drying tube instead of just adding calcium chloride chunks to the tube that leads to the reaction.

I assume the process will be simular to this compound Sulfur Nitride in preparation but sensitive like nitrogen triiodide

https://youtu.be/I-ZawsbYpmo

I don't know if I'm ready for the cloud of ammonium chloride from the resulting reaction though.

[Edited on 7-12-2020 by symboom]

vano - 7-12-2020 at 08:16

Quote: Originally posted by symboom  
I tried making selenyl chloride in benzene. But the product had too much water in it. I was adding HCl gas to selenium and selenium dioxide (made from the reaction of hydrogen peroxide and selenium) in a solution of benzene. I made the HCl gas with hydrochloric acid on calcium chloride I guess I need a drying tube instead of just adding calcium chloride chunks to the tube that leads to the reaction.

I assume the process will be simular to this compound Sulfur Nitride in preparation but sensitive like nitrogen triiodide

https://youtu.be/I-ZawsbYpmo

I don't know if I'm ready for the cloud of ammonium chloride from the resulting reaction though.

[Edited on 7-12-2020 by symboom]

Simplest way is selenium and chlorine. Red or black sellenium of couse is better than granules. I will definitely try. I can buy completely anhydrous ammonia but it is a bit far. I think it would come out because there would be no water.

Yamato71 - 30-1-2021 at 18:25

You can easily dry benzene by azeotropic distillation. Benzene forms a low boiling (69.5C) azeotrope with water, so when it is distilled, any entrained water will come across in the first fraction. Collect everything that comes across at 80C.