I don't have an exact procedure, but it is common practice to impregnate silica gel with silver nitrate. This is done for chromatography reason. Silver increases the selectivity for separating alkenes. I haven't heard of any explosions. -Joe Ward On Fri, 10 Oct 2003 16:02:29 -0500, wayne wolseywrote: >Hi, >Silica is one of the most inert substances known, due to the very strong >nature of the silicon-oxygen bond. One of the few substances which will >react with it is HF, or elemental fluorine. >The resulting formation of the even stronger Si-F bond drives the reaction. >Also known to react are metals such as magnesium, which can reduce the SiO2 >to elemental Si, under the right conditions at high temperature, or form >magnesium silicide. > >Silver nitrate is an oxidizing agent, and would have little tendency to >cause a reaction with SiO2. > >I found a website which described the stability of silica (SiO2) with >molten nitrates. > >Thus, there should be essentially no reactivity of silica with silver >nitrate. Of course, heating silver nitrate can cause the evolution of >nitrogen oxides and silver oxide. > >Wayne Wolsey >Professor of Chemistry >Macalester College >651 696-6352 >wolsey**At_Symbol_Here**macalester.edu >--On Wednesday, October 08, 2003 9:00 AM -0500 Rebecca Schafer > wrote:r > >> An article by Dick Sullivan gives caution regarding mixture of silver >> nitrate with finely particulated metals like aluminum or zinc. I have >> read MSDS and other safety information regarding this compound but have >> found nothing regarding mixture with silica. I am trying to make a 14% >> silver nitrate silica. The plan was to dissolve the silver nitrate in >> water add the silica and mix well. Then heat it in a microwave for 10 >> minutes to speed drying. Does anyone have any information to support >> this procedure? >> >> Thanks >> Rebecca Schafer
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