Sciencemadness Discussion Board

What are the products of aqua regia + ethanol?

khourygeo77 - 11-1-2018 at 05:49

As the question says:

What are the products of such a reaction?

What is the yield of the products?

I know that some acetaldehyde is got from such a reaction

Anyone tried such a reaction?


Magpie - 11-1-2018 at 09:04

I would guess that it is acetic acid. This is based on my synthesis of malonic acid in Prepublication, this forum.

Under the right conditions ethyl nitrate and/or ethyl chloride might be formed. But if the acid is strong I would guess acetic acid.

[Edited on 11-1-2018 by Magpie]

Melgar - 12-1-2018 at 12:33

Ethanol plus nitric acid is generally bad. Reason being, nitrous acid reacts in similar ways as hypochlorous acid or hypochlorite, at least for ketones and aldehydes with alpha hydrogens. When you combine ethanol and nitric acid, ethanol is first oxidized to acetaldehyde and the nitric acid loses an oxygen to become nitrous acid. Sometimes the carbonyl compound is given an alpha-oxime group. This would then be cleaved to hydroxylamine and glyoxal. Glyoxal would probably be oxidized to oxalic acid. I know that this particular reaction can unexpectedly go into thermal runaway after a minute or two, so do be extremely careful if you ever try it. Same goes for acetone.

[Edited on 1/12/18 by Melgar]

unionised - 12-1-2018 at 15:32

Singed eyebrows?