Playing with Self-Igniting Gases: Silane, Phosphine, and Borane | Pyrophoric Chemistry

[@justinbanks2380]

"cleeeeaaarly, this should not be scaled u... I scaled it up 10 times." 😂

[@jasonpatterson8091]

With magnesium silicide/silane, it's more fun (imo) to use water to get the product. You can break the test tube containing the Mg2Si and drop the solid chunks into water. They react to form bubbles of SiH4, which then burst into flame when they pop on the surface. If it doesn't want to make nice bubbles you can add a little bit of soap. It's a lot more controlled than adding acid, so you get to see the reaction more clearly and it goes several times. As a fun side effect, you can actually see the SiO2 (sand) that is the other product of the combustion as it forms on the surface of the water.

[@DJChesley]

You may be my new favorite KZbinr, well you and explosions and fire of course

[@R1NR4N]

This is why chemistry is so magical; you literally just created a "fire potion" like some kind of STEM wizard. Quick question though, at 4:03 you mention diborane having a weird Swedish odor. I've never actually been to Sweden so I don't what it smells like there, but would Swedish fish odor be comparable in scent?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Lol, I'm never gonna hear the end of that mispronunciation. I don't recall smelling the SWEETish odor myself, but I don't think it's comparable to fish of fish-shaped candy.

[@marcusrobinson1778]

@@LabCoatz_Science am Texan would pronounce same way

[@fukpoeslaw3613]

I also never have been in Sweden, but does it stink like as rotten as Denmark?

[@telotawa]

i was exactly gonna comment the same thing, i know you meant to say sweet-ish but it sounded like swedish

[@Lukey_Starzz]

4:30 I have never seen diborane ignite like that before! That's so cool! Good job :D

[@cooldude7301]

Hello good sir. This is a really interesting video. You are my favourite KZbin chemistry channel. You do cool stuff. And your voice is comforting for some reason lol

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Thank you very much, I appreciate the complement! Hopefully I can continue to entertain great people like you!

[@deadfrontdm]

I love that you're doing that over a sanitary sewer manhole cover. I'm not going to say it's not safe, I'm not an expert on that kind of thing. I will say I'm honestly disappointed you didn't manage to launch it into the sky...

[@LabCoatz_Science]

We'll get to that point someday, I'm sure of it.

[@christopherleubner6633]

Yay I used all 3 of these plus arsane stannane trimethyl aluminum and more to make lasing chips for Boston Lasers in the early 2000s. One happy accident is the valve that added the trimethyl aluminum fired a couple extra shots in the chamber and we rolled with it. The result was 614nm orange laser chips with a safe operating power of 250mW.

[@jerrysanchez5453]

Man that borane reaction was so aggressive.great video as usual.keep up the great work

[@RhoGamingYT]

I can’t wait to see more of these amazing reaction from your channel

[@johnfisher3380]

You should consider making silver plating solution! It’s very hard to get hold of for electroplating hobbyists, but it’s definitely something you could synthesize to make it more accessible.

[@notmyname327]

The diborane was so cool, every one of the shots was amazing.

[@asteroiderer]

"and it has a weird, Swedish odor" is what I hear every time. Lol

[@justinbanks2380]

Very informative and cool!

[@DJChesley]

Don't ever came into the pressure to take these videos down. In fact have a backup them somewhere and include that link in the description

[@chemistryscuriosities]

Fantastic content!

[@morningstarsci]

it would be great if you didn't start with obvious precursors, like borohydride. I want to see it starting from boron trioxide, phosphates, and silicates.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I suppose I could superheat calcium phosphate with charcoal in a kiln to get the phosphorus needed to make phosphine, but making silane from silicates wouldn't make much sense, since silicon dioxide (sand) is fair more abundant. Likewise, I could make the sodium borohydride myself from boron trioxide, but that would require access to sodium hydride and methanol, so ultimately, buying sodium borohydride directly makes the most sense.

[@chemistry-experiments78]

@@LabCoatz_Science There are ways to make borane without NaBH4, tbh, I'd like to see them more than the borohydride method

[@morningstarsci]

@@LabCoatz_Science Boron trioxide and magnesium metal to magnesium diboride. Displacement of the diboride produces boranes. And yes, I misspoke about the silicates. Sand makes much more sense.

[@cooldude7301]

Whats wrong with using borohydride?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@cooldude7301 Honestly nothing, it just depends on if you have better access to borohydride or magnesium powder. For me, borohydride is more available.

[@SwampMonster1]

10 hours away, you’re killing me man

[@SwampMonster1]

Awesome!

[@DarkCid7777]

5:03 ; mad scientist transition, just perfect 🤣🤣🤣

[@highlander723]

Oh this is in no way mad scientist thing.... This is chemist bored on a Saturday night.

[@corydidit2879]

I already know this is gonna be good

[@kieranodea771]

That last one with the Diborane was pretty sick

[@picosoft2033]

one of the best ways for some crazy chemistry demonstrations for bored chemists (+students that searching an inspiration lol '~') Keep your cool channel up 😃

[@Ma_X64]

That was definitely cool!😊

[@marcusrobinson1778]

Can you make a video purging the tubes with insert gas and putting a balloon over them before producing the gas. Maybe magnets or something. Then pop the balloon

[@kevinlcarlson]

I once dropped Calcium Phosphide into water, each bubble of gas ignited at the surface and made a cool smoke ring

[@ryankassel5691]

Wonderful.

[@lordofutub]

@4:03 has a weird Swedish odor 💀

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I knew somebody would make that joke, lol

[@williambouthillier8611]

You're one hell of a fucking badass you know that? I've never seen anyone pour a whole beaker of concentrated sulfuric acid in and around his RBF with such grace!🤣

[@RyanMercer]

🤘

[@theoverlord3839]

Next up: try making some wierd polymers. Polymers have got some wierd specimens

[@danielbickford3458]

You know, some of these could make for an interesting scientific explanation for a high fantasy creature like a dragon.

[@BrickfallOfficial]

Careful matey no one wants a visit from Flowers By Irene :P Stay safe my dude.

[@cooldude7301]

He's not doing anything illegal

[@DUKE_of_RAMBLE]

@4:03 _"...and has a weird, Swedish odor..."_ I'm not even a Swede but even *_I_* find that offensive! 😏😊

[@mikelemon5109]

5:00 lol I love it

[@JonTa-pe9io]

On top of the storm drain?

[@lightdark00]

Quality safe experiments can be found here! The question is there a way to harness these reactions for things?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Most of these gases do find some uses (silane in the semiconductor industry, phosphine as an animal poison, etc), but uses involving their pyrophoric properties are limited. NASA uses stuff like diborane to ignite their rocket engines during takeoff, but besides that there isn't much...might be cool to use in a weapon though!

[@lightdark00]

@@LabCoatz_Science New chemical weapon series!!! KZbin will love that!

[@tomoyaokazaki6021]

I am quite curious about how you made phosphine safley. How far back did you run?

[@GodlikeIridium]

5:00 Nice! 😅

[@LFTRnow]

Rooooocket Flaaaask! (singing to "Rocket Ship")

[@Oystercaulk]

Beautiful

[@foremanspike7315]

Yay Labcoatz!

[@jansenart0]

How could you make diborane without letting the reactant go through a ceramic rocket nozzle

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I'm not sure I understand the question...are you talking about putting diborane in a rocket engine? If so, it really wouldn't be a good fuel (probably why NASA rejected it), but if you want ideas, look into how they do stuff like that in hypergolic rockets.

[@oitthegroit1297]

Imagine having these gases liquefied under pressure in glass ampoules, you would essentially have enslaved fireballs lol.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Don't think for a moment that I haven't already dreamed of doing that, lol. Maybe one day, if I can get ahold of liquid nitrogen!

[@oitthegroit1297]

@@LabCoatz_Science Oh boy, that will be fun!

[@5688gamble]

Red phosporous eh? Thanks for the heads up, that is an, um, useful reagent for, um, legitimate home chemistry, does he carry iodine crystals or some other halogen source too? Um, reasons..

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Yes. Not that I know from experience or anything...

[@5688gamble]

@@LabCoatz_Science Of course not...

[@AlejandroFerrariMc]

And boom goes the... gas!

[@stick-Iink]

Make all the binary hydrides!

[@Psychx_]

Thank god you're doing this on top of a well. Who knows what would happen if these chemicals were released into the grasslands :P

[@rursus8354]

Yeah, or play with hyper-toxic self-igniting substances. The only extra thing needed is a little spice of radioactivity such as Cs-137 and I-131. UPDATE: now when you also demonstrated that the reactions are way worse than playing with fire, namely explosive, what is the purpose?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I had no purpose, I just wanted to experience working with them firsthand, like I did with thioacetone, selenoacetone, and resiniferatoxin!

[@Grak70]

“Diborane has a weird Swedish odor…” “Whåt?”

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I'll never hear the end of that mispronunciation, lol...

[@Grak70]

@@LabCoatz_Science dude no worries, I’m still giggling about it 6 hours later. 😆 made my morning.

[@chaoslab]

Better living through chemistry.

[@Beeeeeeeeeee]

What is underneath that giant metal manhole cover you're doing the experiments on lol?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

It's just a storm drain. I use it for most of my dangerous experiments, because it happens to be in my backyard, it's decently far from the house, and if a tiny amount of something spills (like the HCl in this video, when I jerked back from the silane), I can just rinse it away.

[@LogjammerDbaggagecling-qr5ds]

It's the drinking water supply for the city he lives in.

[@alexpotts6520]

How feasible would it be to collect these gases air-free so you could actually isolate them?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I've considered doing so. It's possible to bubble the gases through water and into an inverted flask (phosphine would be best for this, since silane and diborane both react with water to varying degrees).

[@ChimeraChemLab]

Silan react with water extremely fast, with water fumes too

[@andrewcullen7671]

So wait, the smoke from the silane is silicon dioxide? The smoke is sand particles? If I'm not misunderstanding you, that sounds very dangerous to breathe in.

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Yep, and you're right: it's not the best stuff to breath in. It's not a death sentence by any means, but it's not advisable.

[@Andy_M.S.c]

5:02 I lost my shit omg

[@JoakimfromAnka]

4:02 "Toxic like phosphine and has a weird swedish odor."

[@Enjoymentboy]

Toxic gases that burst into flames when they contact air? Sounds like a guy I used to know. How long have you known Andy?

[@YunxiaoChu]

The small scale borane reactions looked nicer

[@gamelord5798]

Playing with phosphine? Seriously?

[@Undergroundskrypt]

This guys clearly a badass

[@Esterified80]

Cool but but what about alane and arsine which are also pyrophoric

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I hope to do arsine sometime (once I can safely deal with arsenic vapor, lol), but alane isn't a pyrophoric gas: it's just a highly flammable non-volatile solid. Still might be fun to try though!

[@Esterified80]

@@LabCoatz_Science Volatile organoarsenic compounds are rumored to be one of the worst smelling chemicals like Me3As

[@unusualfabrication9937]

4:30 looks a lot like a rocket engine... wonder if NASA ever considered it

[@sokjeong-ho7033]

Yep, diborane's been tested as a rocket fuel, but ended up a) being too unstable and b) producing boron monoxide during incomplete combustion making it not super viable

[@charlesurrea1451]

You ever look into Greek fire?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

I've heard of it, but I've never looked into it. Maybe I will!

[@justinbanks2380]

While some people prepare for the zombie apocalypse by loading up on guns and what not, I'd much rather stick with chemists and makers who can make dangerous and flammable things out of stuff they find. Or high voltage things. Bullets will eventually run out, but if you have the know how, you can always scrounge up stuff to make weapons for hunting and defense, lol. Joking aside, very cool!

[@trealin4730]

Mad scientist

[@peroxideoxideptm8309]

I can see why they considered diborane as rocket fuel

[@GeorgeOneEleven]

4:02 At least it isn't Danish.

[@antonschollum3128]

Cracking👍subbed

[@theoverlord3839]

Hyyyypppppppeeeeeee!!!!!!!

[@djwindkind]

noice! 😍

[@daniellassander]

Wait wait wait, did you just say "it has a rare swedish odor" at 4:02 forward a little.....

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Lol, I'm never gonna hear the end of that mispronunciation.

[@ابومريم-ط3ض]

wow

[@numpfel]

AAC 1 bei Müller jemand hier?

[@nicholaschristodoulou5766]

Playing with phosphine ,..seriously

[@LabCoatz_Science]

Yes.

[@nicholaschristodoulou5766]

Not you im concerned with its people thinking It's something they should try.if there looking for help to do it on youtube they shouldn't attempt it A kid in Sweden killed himself years ago doing just this

[@LabCoatz_Science]

@@nicholaschristodoulou5766 Fair point. Although I'm not too concerned about people replicating this, given how hard it is to obtain red phosphorus legally...this was meant to be a demo, and not really a tutorial. I was only able to get my sample because I have a sponsor who sells it.

[@nicholaschristodoulou5766]

@@LabCoatz_Science red phosphorus isn't to hard to obtain ,since last year though you are restricted to 100g a year now in the uk. Before that you could buy kilos no problem And things will get worse .I was just having a moan earlier ,one of those days im just saying be careful the things you do when your younger can and will effect you health wise when your older .there is no such thing as going overboard with protecting your health Be safe above all else but you know that.....does everyone else?

[@Rurudidi]

Phosphine 👀

[@thesunexpress]

Maybe don't do these 'experiments' of a sewer cover... remember how methane can be produced?

[@LabCoatz_Science]

It's just a storm drain, no worries! When I was little I used to drop fireworks down it, and I'm happy to report there have been zero methane explosions...so far...