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GreenD
National Hazard
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Registered: 30-3-2011
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A grad student at UCLA died in the past year while handling t-butyl lithium (maybe it was n-butyl).
It got on her clothes (how much was she fucking using?!) - not a fun death, let me tell you.
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AirCowPeaCock
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It's really incredible, she more or less died of a sweater fire, not an n-butyl lithium fire (I think it was n)
BOLD
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AndersHoveland
Hazard to Other Members, due to repeated speculation and posting of untested highly dangerous procedures!
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How to make butyl lithium
BuLi can be prepared by reaction 1-bromo-butane with lithium metal, using a solvent such as ether or benzene. If 1-chloro-butane is used instead, a
precipitate of LiCl will form, since this salt does not form a complex with the BuLi like LiBr does.
The lithium can be obtained as a rolled up sheet of metal from certain types of batteries. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BliWUHSOalU
Here is the synthesis for 1-bromobutane:
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1-Bromobutane
250mL flask, dropping funnel and reflux condenser. 50 cubic cm of water, 25g of 1-butanol, and 40g sodium bromide.
Cool in ice bath. Slowly pour 40 cubic cm of concentrated sulfuric acid, stir, and cool. Gently heat to reflux for 40 minutes.
Reaction mixture cooled to room temperature. Distil out all the 1-bromobutane. Transfer to separating funnel, wash with about 30 cubic cm of water,
collect the oil layer. Wash and dry the funnel, then again add the bromobutane oil. Carefully add 30 cubic cm concentrated sulfuric acid cooled to
about 5degC. Stir, let stand for 10 minutes. Collect out the oil layer. Then dry using anhydrous MgSO4.
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Note that both ethyl ether and THF react with BuLi above (minus) -20 °C, therefore the temperature must be kept below this the whole time. Dry ice
with acetone ice baths, which achieve a -78 °C temperature, are typically used.
Some additional information, when BuLi is heated, it forms lithium hydride and gives of Butylene gas C4H8. (obviously this is in the absence of air)
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GreenD
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You need argon. Argon is used because of the density... I can't remember why the density is important though?
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Hexavalent
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Because if you used a gas that is less dense than air, like helium, even the slightest leak in the system will cause it to lift out of the system,
much like a helium balloon rising. But, with something like argon, which is denser than air, a small leak will allow some air in but the argon will
not float out.
"Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm." Winston Churchill
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