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MrHomeScientist
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Golden Liquid
I have a project in mind where I'd like to create a golden-colored liquid, or at least something that simulates one. My girlfriend is big into the
Harry Potter books, and I wanted to use this golden liquid to fill a small glass bottle pendant as a gift for her. The book describes it as resembling
molten gold, so that's what I'm going for. Any ideas for making a liquid with a nice golden color? Preferably not a precipitate, like lead iodide,
since this would just settle out.
An alternative would be to make a gold mirror, analogous to the classic 'silver mirror' experiment (Nurdrage's video on it here ). I haven't found any references to creating a golden mirror, though. Anyone know how to do that?
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Metacelsus
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I have an idea: a solution of an alkyl xanthic disulfide or thioanhydride. Those have a nice golden color, and if you can get carbon disulfide are
pretty easy to make. (Look in the prepublications section for my paper on them.)
Don't let her drink it, though.
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elementcollector1
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Wasn't there something like this in Pretty Pictures? Some ammonium complex?
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Oscilllator
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Gold coatings can be done at home using a sputtering process (high temperatures and vacuums) but it is quite difficult for the amateur. Making an
opaque golden liquid will probably involve a suspension of some kind preferably a colloid. Suspending finely powdered pyrite comes to mind, however
getting such a fine powder would be very difficult with solely mechanical grinding.
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elementcollector1
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Found it!
http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=14644&...
Very bottom of the page, apparently an ammonium iron phosphate suspension.
Although I don't imagine you'd get any luckier from drinking the stuff...
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MrHomeScientist
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Wow that ferrous ammonium phosphate looks gorgeous! That's exactly what I'm going for. It seems like that might settle out eventually, though. I'll
have to try making it - I found a paper that states it's made simply with iron powder, phosphoric acid, and ammonia. They state it is 'greyish-green' though. They also use a
hilarious acronym for the compound.
I'll look for your writeup as well Cheddite. Thanks for the replies so far.
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diddi
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@ Oscilllator
pyrite looks great as a crystal and would be perfect as fake gold, but it has a black streak, so the powder will be like heavy charcoal. it stains
everything and makes a real mess in the lapidary workroom.
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j_sum1
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Chloroauric acid wasn't good enough? It has the advantage of actually being gold!
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Metacelsus
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Does it have to be opaque?
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Zyklon-A
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Um cesium, duh! Perhaps something could be added to it to keep it liquid at an
even lower temperature than the pure stuff at 28.5 °C, 83.3 °F. It's actually liquid and would never settle out. Isolating it will be project to
say the least.
[Edited on 24-11-2014 by Zyklon-A]
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HgDinis25
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Quote: Originally posted by Zyklon-A  | Um cesium, duh! Perhaps something could be added to it to keep it liquid at an
even lower temperature than the pure stuff at 28.5 °C, 83.3 °F. It's actually liquid and would never settle out. Isolating it will be project to
say the least.
[Edited on 24-11-2014 by Zyklon-A] |
Suddenly the bottle drops to the ground. 100€ woth of Caesium having fun with Oxygen...
Suddenly the bottle breaks near water. 100€ woth of Caesium happily destroying the girl's face...
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Zyklon-A
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Well I was sorta joking, however it is doable, and if she is informed of the risks and is responsible I doubt accidents will happen. Additionally, the
ampule could be stored in a glass box for extra safety, and if kids are around, it should obviously be out of reach and on a shelf that can't fall
down.
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bob800
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This: http://woelen.homescience.net/science/chem/exps/KIO3+HCl/ind... ! The color was so striking that I still remember doing the experiment years
ago...
 (woelen's pic)
[Edited on 25-11-2014 by bob800]
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Amos
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You could suspend the FAP(ha) in a yellow solution of some other compound to make it more like actual gold, and maybe you could look into some
surfactants to keep it all suspended.
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elementcollector1
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I'm actually very interested to see these results - wouldn't mind some Felix Felicis of my own...
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Amos
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Watching your videos for some time, seeing your signature "gorgeous!" always makes me giggle. They really are well-made, though.
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Jylliana
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It's not exactly chemistry, but mixing (clear) glue with glittery golden nailpolish or yellow foodcolouring makes a nice Felix Felicis-like substance.
These vials would go nice with it, I think 
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bismuthate
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What do you think of making a very concentrated solution of silver nanoparticles? They would never settle
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j_sum1
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Well, my initial thought was gold nanoparticles but then it wouldn't appear golden.
What colour do silver nanoparticles appear?
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bismuthate
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Many colors, but golden is one of them. Gold nanoparticles can appear silver.
Using honey as a liquid for suspensions may work
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MrHomeScientist
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I'm glad this has spawned lots of good discussion!
Cesium seems rather hazardous for something meant to be worn around the neck
Points for actually being a golden liquid though!
That picture looks really nice too. Another great experiment by Woelen that I'll have to try. Also a little too hazardous for my use, though. Perhaps
I could make something she'd display on a bookshelf instead.
Jylliana those are actually the exact vials I was looking at for the project. I was searching eBay for different small vials for
another purpose and ran across those, and their shape is actually what gave me this idea.
Silver nanoparticles are also interesting but require materials I don't think will be simple to get (sodium borohydride). I found a very interesting
and well made video about silver 'nanoprisms' while looking around: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agD5jfXua-o
I didn't realize I had a signature mannerism, that's funny
Keep 'em coming! So far 'FAP' is the front runner - looks great and seems simple to synthesize. Yellow glue would be pretty simple too, and would be
thick enough to not settle out. So many things to try!
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bismuthate
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Try using sodium citrate instead of
Borohydride.
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jock88
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If you purchase 'gold paint' in a paint shop it will make quite nice golden liquid when mixed with white spirits.
It is very fine brass I believe, how exactly it's made is protected.
The paint I speak of is sold as two parts in a small cardboard box.
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Mabus
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Titanium nitride coatings have a gold-like color and it's safe. Though I'm not sure if a TiN suspension has the same color.
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phlogiston
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Not practical in the slightest, but a liquid with a golden appearance can be made by dissolving an alkali metal in liquid ammonia. The concentration
needs to be high enough (>3M) or it will appear blue.
[Edited on 25-11-2014 by phlogiston]
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"If a rocket goes up, who cares where it comes down, that's not my concern said Wernher von Braun" - Tom Lehrer |
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