Copper Acetylide

[InspiredByMe]

Copper Acetylide is an explosive that is synthed with copper salts and bubbling acetyline gas through a solution containing NH3. Now my question is how strong must the presence of ammonia be? Can I use store bought clear ammonia with copper chloride (II) or could I use a copper nitrate solution in water? The chloride method using store bought is what I would prefer as I have no lab grade ammonium hydroxide on hand at the moment, and little copper nitrate.

Also I've hear that using copper chloride II makes it much more sensitive than copper chloride I, is it still safe to handle?

[delusional_reality]

The difference between using Copper(I) and Copper(II) salts in the Prep for Cu(x)C2 is humongous!
don't try it!
One is fairly ridiculously sensitive and the other is so sensitive that it very well might det by blinking your eyes in the same room as it.

as for a source of NH4OH...
NH4NO3(aq) + NaOH(aq)---> NaNO3(aq) + NH3 + H2O.

bubble the evolved ammonia(not the steam/water) into store bought ammonia at as low a temp as you can get the store bought stuff to.
watch out for other chems in store bought ammonia like detergents etc.

oh and don't make either carbide!

[InspiredByMe]

What about silver acetylide because I do have some silver nitrate

[asilentbob]

What is it with you and really sensitive explosives? If your having to ask if its safe to handle, you haven't researched enough.

On a slightly related note...
I have heard that some wish for a new Backyard Ballistics sub-forum to be set up here under the Science section... That would probably be a good idea as drugs and explosives mix well in chemistry... but not in practice. In practice it tends to lead to jail or a fine pink mist.

[InspiredByMe]

What is it with you and really sensitive explosives? If your having to ask if its safe to handle, you haven't researched enough.

If its safe from experience of others.

The best thing I found kind of denies the sensitivity of it:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtTnYCZJw94

In the description it says it is less sensitive than silver acetylide.

Also wiki says that Copper (I) Acetylide is more sensitive than silver acetylide. The only resource I have found of the Copper (II) Acetylide is the one above.

Im looking for other explosives mostly, something that is different and somewhat easy.

[asilentbob]

Have you checked COPAE?

[Von Bass]

That would probably be a good idea as drugs and explosives mix well in chemistry... but not in practice. In practice it tends to lead to jail or a fine pink mist.

That reminds me of the guy who hammer tested his meth and did a line AP :p:D

[InspiredByMe]

Have you checked COPAE?

Yes and it says it is very sensitive when dry and should only be made in small batches. It also says it has the power to dent an iron crucible when left under a candle. But it has no mention of silver acetylide nor of which if it is copper (I) or copper (II) acetylide.

My original plan was merely to test the strength of the explosive not to use it as a primary, and if it was possible to compare the strength of using copper I chloride and copper II chloride.

[asilentbob]

"Solutions of CuCl in HCl or NH3 absorb carbon monoxide to form colourless complexes such as the chloride-bridged dimer [CuCl(CO)]2. The same hydrochloric acid solutions also react with acetylene gas to form [CuCl(C2H2)]. ammoniacal solutions of CuCl react with acetylenes to form the explosive copper(I) acetylide. " -wikipedia/copper(I) chloride
**What the hell does "[CuCl(C2H2)]" look like? The the ease of typing I'm just going to say that I'll represent a triple bond as :::
I would say that it is a wikipedia typo and supposed to be:
Cl-Cu-C:::C-H
Notice that typo or not, Cu(I) was oxidized (loss of electrons) to Cu(II).

If you look at the listed acetylide explosives on wikipedia, they are all:
M-C:::C-M

Copper(I) acetylide would be:
Cu+ -C:::C- +Cu

So how could copper(II) work? I would think the most stable arrangement would be something like:
Cl-Cu-C:::C-H
Perhaps a chain?
[-Cu-C:::C-Cu-C:::C-Cu-C:::C-] etc
Perhaps some sort of ring?

Its my opinion that the ammonium cation has an important role in some way... or that if going from copper(II) chloride intermediates will form and decompose to copper(I) acetylide... Maybe not. Dunno. If you can find a good reaction mechanism including the ammonium cation, you should be set.

Neither silver nor copper acetylide is like NI3 in sensitivity, thats certain... However I'd treat either as if they were silver fulminate. Moving them around on a watch glass like that sure, loading them for caps? I definatly would not risk that with the copper. I'd be more willing with the silver. BUT I'd go for double salts, a silver acetylide/nitrate co-precipitate instead. Less sensitive.

[Dread_Lord]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtTnYCZJw94

He is using 2m ammonia (in methanol solution?), and copper(II)