[perchlorate]

Hi,

I am a post grad student doing research currently. I deal with pure sodium metal cut into thin pieces (approximately 0.5cm by 0.5cm) and assemble them in half cells for testing. I am thinking of using acetonitrile as solvent for my electrolyte in my half cell but while dripping some acetonitrile on a piece of sodium metal in glovebox today, there appeared to be some black smoke fuming from the sodium piece and turned white thereafter. I did coloumetric titration tests and water content came back to be around 50 ppm. Hence i don't think its the water content but rather a reaction happening.

Any comments to this?

Thanks!

Best Regards,
Paul

[Hunter2]

Sodium is a strong reducer. Probably you get Cyanide and ethane.

2 CH₃CN + 2 Na => 2 NaCN + C₂H₆

[perchlorate]

I see. Thanks for the reply!

[sjb]

Sodium is a strong reducer. Probably you get Cyanide and ethane.

2 CH₃CN + 2 Na => 2 NaCN + C₂H₆

Maybe not that far, but I do know the alpha protons are quite acidic, so CH₃CN + Na  Na^{+ -}CH₂CN + ¹/₂H₂? Does the gas 'pop' with a burning split or similar