07-03-03 02:54
No 444100
Ok I am a first time poster long time reader. I have been reading beakers 2CB synthesis, seems pretty straightforward. My question is this: I have a freind who assures me quite confidently that potassium borohydride can be used just in replacement of sodium borohydride. I have learned a long time ago never to trust my friends;) So I figured that I would run this by you guys. What do you think? Is my friend talking out his ass? I have utfse to no avail so if the answer is there please direct me to the proper post. Obviously nobody has tried this and posted results so it would be hard to say if it would work, but do any of you foresee any possible problems with this, or is it safe to assume, that potassium borohydride would work as well?
Mucho thanks ahead of time
later
Apostle of chaos
(Hive Bee)
07-03-03 04:09
No 444112
usually you can substitute it, but you have to take into account mol weights and its solubility differences
(Stranger)
07-03-03 06:02
No 444130
Cool, my friend that told me this claimed that potassium borohydride was actually better than sodium borohydride because it was more soluable in the needed solvents. He never specified to me that he was talking about beakers 2CH synth, but upon researching the subject beakers was the only one I could find that used sodium borohydride anyway so I assume that this is the synth he was talking about. Hmmm why am I ranting about that here I should be asking him I suppose
Well swid is no expert chemist, but he is not necessarily a newbie either(more newbee than oldbee nevertheless) so he thinks that he will proceed with this synthesis using the potassium borohydride, your reply made him a bit more comfortable spending the cash time and effort, he just needed a second opinion before proceeding.
If anybody else has any input it would be greatly appreciated- any reassurance from more experienced bee's than I that it should work, or reasons why it might not for that synth.
thanks
enlightenment through chemistry
(Chief Bee)
07-03-03 16:11
No 444220
Potassium borohydride is actually less soluble than sodium borohydride. To find reactions where the potassium version is used, just UTFSE for "kbh4" or "potassium borohydride"...