In what solvent does ammonia exist as NH3 type rather than as NH4+ ions (Except under strongly alkaline aqueous conditions.)? What can be done to increase the nucleophilic attack of NH3?
Hello Wen Tian ,
the existence of ammonia as NH3 should depend on the pka of it in respect to the other solvent. You do not need aqueous conditions (i.e. if you consider pyrollidone as your solvent, ammonia should be found as NH3 regarding this pka-table for DMSO: https://organicchemistrydata.org/hansreich/resources/pka/pka_data/pka-compilation-reich-bordwell.pdf).
In the mentioned case, however, the stronger base (pyrrolidone) might conduct a nucleophilic attack to your other reactand, because of his higher basicity.
You may increase the probability of a nucleophilic attack by decreasing the electron density of your other reactand by electron withdrawing groups (if this is an option) or maybe heating (-> more molecule collisions). If you want to increase the yield of a product resulting from a nucleophilic attack of NH3, you might remove the product(s) and shift the equilibrium of your reaction etc.
There was no ammonia removal in water without at least some NaCl in solution, suggesting that the device works by converting chloride ions into chlorine and hypochlorous acid, which then react with ammonia to form nitrogen gas.
In isolation, NH3 and HCl do not react to form the ionic salt, using anion photoelectron spectroscopy and ab initio theory found that an excess electron induces the hydrogen-bonded complex NH3···HCl to form the negative ion of ionic ammonium chloride, a deformed Rydberg radical, NH4, polarized by a chloride anion, Cl–.
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