How Is Silver Acetylide Synthesized?

Silver acetylide, also known as silver ethynediolate, is a highly sensitive and explosive compound that is commonly used in organic synthesis. It can be prepared by reacting silver nitrate with acetylene gas in anhydrous ammonia or other non-aqueous solvents. The reaction proceeds through the following steps:

1. Dissolving silver nitrate in the solvent: First, a solution of silver nitrate (AgNO3) is prepared in the solvent. The solvent should be anhydrous so that it does not react with acetylene.

2. Bubbling acetylene gas through the solution: Next, acetylene gas (C2H2) is bubbled through the solution using a gas inlet tube. The reaction between silver nitrate and acetylene produces silver acetylide (Ag2C2).

3. Collecting the precipitate: The silver acetylide formed is highly insoluble in the solvent and precipitates out of the solution as a grayish-black solid. This solid is collected by filtration and washed several times with the same solvent to remove any impurities.

The overall reaction can be represented as follows:

2 AgNO3 + C2H2 → Ag2C2 + 2 HNO3

It should be noted that the formation of silver acetylide is highly exothermic and can lead to explosions if not handled properly. Therefore, the reaction must be carried out under carefully controlled conditions and appropriate safety measures should be taken.