Desiccators and Desiccants

Cold room (4°C) or cold box Computer (PC or Macintosh) and printer Conical centrifuge tubes, 15- and 25-ml plastic Cuvettes, plastic disposable, glass, and quartz Darkroom and developing tank, or X-Omat automatic X-ray film developer (Kodak) Desiccators (including vacuum desiccators) and desiccant Dry ice... 

Desiccators and Desiccants The expression in a desiccator means using a tightly closed container of appropriate design in which a low moisture content can be maintained by means of a suitable desiccant. Preferred desiccants include anhydrous calcium chloride, magnesium perchlorate, phosphorus pentoxide, and silica gel. 

Similar to glycol (see dihydroxyethane). Used as desiccant and in humidity control esters are used as plasticizers. 

One procedure makes use of a box on whose silk screen bottom powdered desiccant has been placed, usually lithium chloride. The box is positioned 1-2 mm above the surface, and the rate of gain in weight is measured for the film-free and the film-covered surface. The rate of water uptake is reported as u = m/fA, or in g/sec cm. This is taken to be proportional to - Cd)/R, where Ch, and Cd are the concentrations of water vapor in equilibrium with water and with the desiccant, respectively, and R is the diffusional resistance across the gap between the surface and the screen. Qualitatively, R can be regarded as actually being the sum of a series of resistances corresponding to the various diffusion gradients present ... 

Preparation of films for sufficiently volatile molecules can also be perfonned by evaporating tire molecules in vacuum (gas-phase deposition) or by tire use of a desiccator which contains tire substrate and tire dilute solution in a vessel separately and which is evacuated to 0.1 mbar and kept under vacuum for several hours ( 24 h). This also results in a vapour-phase-like deposition of tire molecules onto tire substrates. 

The solution obtained is evaporated somewhat, cooled in a vacuum desiccator and the crystals of the tetraoxo-acid filtered off too drastic evaporation causes formation of the heptaoxodiphosphoric acid by loss of water. 

Concentrated sulphuric acid has a strong affinity for water and great heat is evolved on mixing hence the acid must be added to water to dilute it. Because of this affinity, the acid can be used to dry gases with which it does not react, for example oxygen, chlorine, sulphur dioxide, and is used in desiccators. It will remove water of crystallisation from some compounds, for example... 

These can be prepared by electrolytic oxidation of chlorates(V) or by neutralisation of the acid with metals. Many chlorates(VII) are very soluble in water and indeed barium and magnesium chlorates-(VII) form hydrates of such low vapour pressure that they can be used as desiccants. The chlorate(VII) ion shows the least tendency of any negative ion to behave as a ligand, i.e. to form complexes with cations, and hence solutions of chlorates (VII) are used when it is desired to avoid complex formation in solution. 

For this purpose the simple and inexpensive atmospheric y desiccator (Fig. 9(A)) is fre-quently used the drying... 

A very effective universal filling for vacuum desiccators is obtained by having concentrated sulphuric acid C in the bottom of the desiccator, and flake sodium hydroxide D in the inverted glass collar supported on the shoulders of the desiccator, the collar then being covered... 

Concentrate each of the two solutions (or eluates) to about 20 ml, by distilling off the greater part of the benzene, the distilling-flask being immersed in the boiling water-bath. Then pour the concentrated solution into an evaporating-basin, and evaporate the remaining benzene (preferably in a fume-cupboard) in the absence of free flames, i.e., on an electrically heated water-bath, or on a steam-bath directly connected to a steam-pipe. Wash the dry residue from the first eluate with petrol and then dry it in a desiccator pure o-nitroaniline, m.p. 72°, is obtained. Wash the second residue similarly with a small quantity of benzene and dry pure />--nitroaniline, m.p. 148" , is obtained. Record the yield and m.p. of each component. 

The oxime is freely soluble in water and in most organic liquids. Recrystallise the crude dry product from a minimum of 60-80 petrol or (less suitably) cyclohexane for this purpose first determine approximately, by means of a small-scale test-tube experiment, the minimum proportion of the hot solvent required to dissolve the oxime from about 0-5 g. of the crude material. Then place the bulk of the crude product in a small (100 ml.) round-bottomed or conical flask fitted with a reflux water-condenser, add the required amount of the solvent and boil the mixture on a water-bath. Then turn out the gas, and quickly filter the hot mixture through a fluted filter-paper into a conical flask the sodium chloride remains on the filter, whilst the filtrate on cooling in ice-water deposits the acetoxime as colourless crystals. These, when filtered anddried (either by pressing between drying-paper or by placing in an atmospheric desiccator) have m.p. 60 . Acetoxime sublimes rather readily when exposed to the air, and rapidly when warmed or when placed in a vacuum. Hence the necessity for an atmospheric desiccator for drying purposes. 

For this preparation, it is particularly necessary that the sodium acetate should be free from traces of water. The anhydrous material can be prepared by gently heating the hydrated salt (CHsCOONa,3HjO) in an esaporating-basin over a small Bunsen flame. The salt dissolves in its water of ciystallisation and resolidifies as this water is driven off further heating then causes the anhydrous material to melt. Stir the molten anhydrous material to avoid charring, and then allow it to cool in a desiccator. Powder the cold material rapidly in a mortar, and bottle without delay. 

Add in turn benzyl chloride (8 3 g., 8 o ml.) and powdered thiourea (5 gm.) to 10 ml. of 95% ethanol in a 100 ml. flask fitted with a reflux condenser. Warm the mixture on the water-bath with gentle shaking until the reaction occurs and the effervescence subsides then boil the mixture under reflux for 30 minutes. Cool the clear solution in ice-water, filter off the crystalline deposit of the benzylthiouronium chloride at the pump, wash it with ice-cold ethyl acetate, and dry in a desiccator. Yield, 11-12 g., m.p. 170-174°. The white product is sufficiently pure for use as a reagent. It is very soluble in cold water and ethanol, but can be recrystallised by adding ethanol dropwise to a boiling suspension in ethyl acetate or acetone until a clear solution is just obtained, and then rapidly cooling. 

The camphorquinone can be purified in either of two ways, (i) To save time, the drained but still damp material can be recrystallised from water containing 10% of acetic acid, the hot filtered solution being cooled and vigorously stirred. The quinone separates as brilliant yellow crystals (yield, 2 5 g.), m.p. 192-194 , increased to 196-197 by a second reciystal-lisation. (ii) The crude camphorquinone can be dried in a vacuum desiccator (weight of dry quinone, 5 g.), and then recrystallised from petroleum (b.p. 100-120 ), the hot solution being filtered through a fluted paper in a pre-heated funnel. The quinone separates in beautiful crystals, m.p. 196-197 , 2 8 g. 

Aluminium isopropoxide can be obtained as a fine powder from technical sources. When the bottle has once been opened however, the stopper should be firmly replaced and covered with wax more conveniently, the stoppered bottle can be kept in an atmospheric desiccator over calcium chloride or sodium hydroxide, preferably in the dark. 

It is advisable in any case before an experiment to place the weighed aluminium isopropoxide overnight in a shallow dish in a vacuum desiccator over sodium hydroxide. The isopropanol should be dried over anhydrous sodium sulphate, and the clear liquid decanted off before use. 

Filter the crystals at the pump, wash them with water, and drain well. To save time, the product may be recrystallised directly from an ethanol-water mixture (1 2 by vol.), and obtained as colourless crystals, m.p. 68°. Alternatively, the crude product can be dried in a desiccator (yield of dry product, I-9-2 0 g., m.p. 65-67°) and recrystallised from petroleum (b.p. 60-80°), and obtained as needles, m.p. 68°. 

For the latter purpose, dissolve the crystals in hot ethanol, and then add water drop by drop to the well-stirred solution until a line emulsion just appears then add more ethanol, also drop by drop, until the emulsion just redissolves. ow allow the solution to cool spontaneousK if the emulsion reappears, add a few drops of ethanol from time to time in order to keep the solution clear. Finally the o-nitrophenol separates in crystals, and the well-stirred mixture may now be cooled in ieewvater until crystallisation is complete. Filter, drain and diy either in an atmospheric desiccator, or by pressing between drying-paper. 

Required Sulphuric acid, 27-5 ml. aniline, 24 ml. sodium nitrite, 20 g. dry potassium carbonate, 3-4 g. (To ensure that the potassium carbonate is dry, it should be gently heated in an evaporating-basin over a small Bunsen flame for 4-5 minutes with stirring, and then allowed to cool in a desiccator.)... 

Add 10 g. of the crude hydrazobenzene to 80 ml. of ethanol contained in a flask fitted with a reflux water-condenser. Heat the mixture on a water-bath until the ethanol bolls, and then add 10 g. of zinc dust and 30 ml. of 30% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution. Remove the flask from the water-bath and shake the contents vigorously from time to time. After about 10 minutes, replace the flask on the water-bath and boil the contents for 3-5 minutes. Filter the mixture at the pump, transfer the filtrate to a beaker and cool in ice-water with stirring. The hydrazobenzene separates as colourless crystals, which are filtered off at the pump and drained. A portion when dried in a desiccator has m.p. 124°. 

To prepare a sample of the hydrochloride, add 0-5 ml. of the base to 10 ml, of dilute hydrochloric acid in an evaporating basin and evaporate to dryness, preferably in a vacuum desiccator. Recrystallise the dry residue from petroleum (b.p. 60-80°). The hydrochloride separates as white crystals, m.p. 90°. 

The hydrochloride of the amine may be prepared precisely as that of the primary amine. For recrystallisation, boil a suspension of the powdered salt in petroleum (b.p. 60-80°), and then add acetone slowly in small drops until the boiling suspension just becomes clear allow the stirred solution to cool until crystallisation starts, and then chill in ice-water before collecting the colourless plates of the hydrochloride, which after drying in a vacuum desiccator have m.p. 132-134°. 

Cyclohexanone oxime. Add 20 g. (21 ml.) of cyclohexanone to a solution of 17 g. of hydroxylamine hydrochloride in 40 ml. of water, and cool the mixture in ice-water. Add a solution of 13 g. of anhydrous sodium carbonate in 40 ml. of water slowly to the mixture, stirring the latter with a 100° thermometer, and maintaining the temperature of the mixture at 20-25° meanwhile. The oxime rapidly separates. Stir the complete mixture at intervals, and after 10 minutes filter the oxime at the pump, drain thoroughly and dry it in a (vacuum) desiccator. Yield of crude oxime, 20 g. Recrystallise from petroleum (b.p. 100-120 ) and dry over paraffin wax (p. 19). Yield of pure oxime, 16 g., m.p. 88°. 

To obtain the free acid, dissolve the potassium salt in 50 ml. of cold water, filter the solution if a small undissolved residue remains, and then boil the clear solution gently whilst dilute sulphuric acid is added until the separation of the acid is complete. Cool the solution and filter off the pale orange-coloured crystals of the benzilic acid wash the crystals on the filter with some hot distilled water, drain well, and then dry in a desiccator. Yield of crude acid, 4 g. Recrystallise from benzene (about 50 ml.) to which a small quantity of animal charcoal has been added, filtering the boiling solution through a preheated funnel fitted w ith a fluted filter-paper, as the benzilic acid readily crystallises as the solution cools alternatively, recrystallise from much hot water. The benzilic acid is obtained as colourless crystals, m.p. 150°. 

Assemble in a fume-cupboard the apparatus shown in Fig. 67(A). Place 15 g. of 3,5-dinitrobenzoic acid and 17 g. of phosphorus pentachloride in the flask C, and heat the mixture in an oil-bath for hours. Then reverse the condenser as shown in Fig. 67(B), but replace the calcium chloride tube by a tube leading to a water-pump, the neck of the reaction-flask C being closed with a rubber stopper. Now distil off the phosphorus oxychloride under reduced pressure by heating the flask C in an oil-bath initially at 25-30, increasing this temperature ultimately to 110°. Then cool the flask, when the crude 3,5-dinitro-benzoyl chloride will solidify to a brown crystalline mass. Yield, 16 g., i.e,y almost theoretical. Recrystallise from caibon tetrachloride. The chloride is obtained as colourless crystals, m.p. 66-68°, Yield, 13 g Further recrystallisation of small quantities can be performed using petrol (b.p. 40-60°). The chloride is stable almost indefinitely if kept in a calcium chloride desiccator. 

Note. Dimethylamine hydrochloride is a deliquescent substance the sample if damp must be dried in a vacuum desiccator and then rapidly weighed before use. 

Whilst the solution is still hot, add dilute hydrochloric acid until the stirred solution is just acid to litmus, and then distil off as much ethanol as possible, using the water-bath. Now add more dilute hydrochloric acid to the residual hot solution until it is just acid to methyl-orange. The 5,5-dimethyl-cyclohexan-1,3-dione separates as an oil which solidifies on cooling. Filter the product at the pump, wash it with ice-cold water, and dry it in a desiccator. Yield of the pale cream-coloured crystals, 12 g. m.p. 136-145 (preliminary softening). 

Preparation of REAOENTS.t It is essential for this preparation that the zinc powder should be in an active condition. For this purpose, it is usually sufficient if a sample of ordinary technical zinc powder is vigorously shaken in a flask with pure ether, and then filtered off at the pump, washed once with ether, quickly drained and without delay transferred to a vacuum desiccator. If, however, an impure sample of zinc dust fails to respond to this treatment, it should be vigorously stirred in a beaker with 5% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution until an effervescence of hydrogen occurs, and then filtered at the pump, washed thoroughly with distilled water, and then rapidly with ethanol and ether, and dried as before in a vacuum desiccator. The ethyl bromoacetate (b.p. 159 ) and the benzaldehyde (b.p. 179 ) should be dried and distilled before use. 

Dissolve 8 8 g. (9 0 ml.) of cyclohexanone in 50 ml. of glacial acetic acid, add 8 ml. of phenylhydrazine, and boil the solution under reflux for 5 minutes. Cool the solution, when the tetrahydrocarbazole will crystallise out. Filter at the pump, drain well, and recrystallise either from aqueous ethanol or (better) from aqueous acetic acid. The recrystallisation should be performed rapidly, for the tetrahydrocarbazole undergoes atmO" spheric oxidation in hot solutions after recrystallisation, the compound should be dried in a vacuum desiccator and not in an oven. Repeated recrystallisation should be avoided. The tetrahydrocarbazole, after thorough drying, is obtained as colourless crystals, m.p. 118° yield of recrystallised material, 11 g. 

A mist of condensed water on the upper portion of the tube A indicates the presence of hydrogen. To detect the presence of hydrogen in this way, however, the copper oxide must first be strongly heated in a crucible and then allowed to cool in a good desiccator otherwise the water normally absorbed by the very hygroscopic copper oxide will always give a mist on the tube A. 

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