tert-Butyllithium. I Added Pyrophoric Liquid to Liquid Oxygen!

Hi!
Tert-butyllithium (1.6M in pentane solution) is a pyrophoric liquid used in organic synthesis. It is highly flammable in air, so I added it to liquid oxygen! :D
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0:00 Carbon monoxide and liquid oxygen reaction
0:13 Burning sulfur and liquid oxygen reaction
1:04 Sulfur in carbon disulfide solution demonstration
1:42 Sulfur in carbon disulfide solution and liquid oxygen reaction
2:38 Lithium borohydride combustion in air = RED color
3:01 Lithium borohydride combustion in liquid oxygen = GREEN color
3:20 Trimethyl borate
4:13 Decaborane in trimethyl borate solution
5:12 tert-Butyllithium solution unpacking
6:36 tert-Butyllithium spontaneous combustion
7:07 tert-Butyllithium spontaneously ignites in ozonated oxygen
7:33 I add tert-Butyllithium drop by drop into liquid oxygen
9:02 I pour a stream of tert-butyllithium into liquid oxygen
10:07 tert-Butyllithium and liquid chlorine reaction!
10:45 Incredible shot
11:00 I LOVE MY PATRONS
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[@daviddrewniak8966]

2:39 Part of my current PhD research is investigating the combustion aspects of a couple borohydrides, including LiBH4. It's currently not well understood exactly what is happening when LiBH4 burns (thus the research), but here is my theory. It is well known from the literature that LiBH4 decomposes to LiH, B, and H2 at low heating rates. Upon further heating, LiH decomposes and free Li atoms are released. Lithium has a low boiling point and a high vapor pressure, so many Li atoms make their way into the flame zone and react, giving us that beautiful red flame. Boron has a very high boiling point and low vapor pressure, making it difficult to burn in a diffusion flame, even without an oxide layer that is present on most boron particles (the boron oxide layer is why boron is notoriously difficult to burn quickly and efficiently). The flame from LiBH4 powder burning in air is a diffusion flame that is heating the powder relatively slowly, thus why we see only the Li burning and not the B. How LiBH4 reacts under rapid heating is not well understood. There is a theory (DOI:10.1021/cm100536a) that B2H6 is formed when LiBH4 decomposes. When heating rate is slow, the diborane then reacts with additional molten LiBH4 to form a Li2B12H12 intermediate species, which eventually decomposes further to LiH, B, and H2. However, under rapid heating, like when pure liquid oxygen is poured on the burning powder, the B2H6 does not have time to react with the molten LiBH4 and instead escapes the melt as a gas where it burns to HBO2 and B2O3, with the intermediate species BO2 giving off the green color! Side note on the colors: the red color from the Li is one wavelength; 671nm. So it is "pure" red. The green from BO2 comes from resonance lines in the 500-580nm range, so it's actually a mix of blue-green, green, and yellow-green. The strongest resonance line is at 546nm, which is the apple green that we see.

[@swirlingabyss]

I was way off. I was thinking of some kind of self quenching.

[@mhtrproplayer]

that's exactly true I think

[@nigeldepledge3790]

Does not the hydrogen also contribute to the red colour?

[@davidwhatever9041]

i left chemistry after my phd, this reminds me how much i miss it

[@daviddrewniak8966]

@@nigeldepledge3790 Hydrogen flames are nearly invisible, giving only a very faint blue color due to the presence of OH radicals. A great example of this is the Space Shuttle Main Engine, which used liquid hydrogen and oxygen as propellants. A slight blue tint to the flame is noticeable, but the nozzle exhaust is transparent enough to see right up into the engine as it is running.

[@Edge51]

I have asked before but I will keep asking! Please show us your lab, your safety procedures, your clean ups after some of these experiments, and we want to see you more. We all come to this channel because we like you and appreciate your time and effort into this videos. A lot of us are chemistry and science geeks plus your content is always interesting to watch. Thanks again for another interesting video look forward to another one. Also your content gets better and better every episode I remember when you did not have the high speed slowmo shots . Keep up the good work!

[@darksidegryphon5393]

I a gree. I want to see all safety measures.

[@naderabyad1722]

We need a lab tour 😊

[@watsisname]

100% agree!

[@christopherleubner6633]

I'm a curious too, what specialty of chemistry ⚗️ too ❤

[@herrbrahms]

You should have a Chemical Force Afterburn channel for information that is less produced, more behind the scenes and conversational.

[@jpolowin0]

"It's impossible to damage the bottle with tert-butyllithium during transportation and delivery." That just means you're not trying hard enough. Sometimes the multiple layers of packaging seemed a bit ridiculous, when I was doing organometallic work. Two layers of stiff cardboard, padded with vermiculite, etc., seemed overkill when the product in question was a small plastic baggie of nearly-indestructible rubber septa.

[@scrappydoo7887]

That burning sulfur in liquid oxygen flame is stunning!!!

[@Vile_old_Bastard_3545]

Ahh yes the famous blue flame. Would love to go to the volcano where you can watch that at night.

[@scrappydoo7887]

@@Vile_old_Bastard_3545 there's a few but there is one specific one that erupts almost pure sulfur

[@danwhite3224]

I find it crazy just how insanely reactive tert-Butyllithium is.

[@highlandlab1924]

Literally everything this guy handles is around the same reactivity. Off the charts reactive.

[@SmithsMobile]

How many non chemists come here for the stunning visuals 😮

[@johnpekkala6941]

To me this indeed looked just like a particle effect I made quite recently in Niagara wich is Unreal Engines particle effect system and wich is capable of making some really cool shit regarding particle effect stuff! The difference is the effect I made was green but I can easily make it any color i want. Its however even cooler to see such phenomenons irl and not just simulated. Also this demo shows just how reactive tert butyl tithium is. First time I heard of this stuff was from a video from USCSB about a girl who got burned to death while working with this stuff alone in a lab and without proper fire resistant lab clothing. Scary stuff for sure!

[@diximae6184]

1 geologist at least :D

[@debrainwasher]

@@diximae6184 And at least one graduated electronics- and nuclear engineer belongs to the audience of this channel too.

[@brentengelhart5]

... and one office worker

[@darnellhagood1052]

…and an airline worker

[@Seeing_Red]

I used to work with tert-Butyllithium (BuLi), but in 90L cylinders. We had to suit up in shielded fire-protective gear, very sensitive and dangerous material.

[@texasslingleadsomtingwong8751]

We see it in our town in tractor trailer loads . It all goes to Orange TX. I've been in the refinery that uses it . Their safety procedures for receiving it are nuts.

[@davidwhatever9041]

volume is critical, there is a world of difference between what is needed to handle lab quantities safely and industrial quantities…. even then in the lab you try an minimise the quantities you have in the a actual lab to what you need on a day to day basis. its something i keep having to remind makerspaces about… you bigger bottles are cheaper per l, but the enhanced safety it needs will exceed the bulk savings

[@madmattdigs9518]

I don’t know how this channel could be any cooler.

[@NIJUwolf1234]

You should mix carbon disulfide with tert buty lithium see what happens

[@ConstantlyDamaged]

I am no chemist, but I am fairly sure this channel is exothermic most days.

[@aqdrobert]

Synthesize Helium Hydride?

[@SmithsMobile]

Buy an even slower camera. This man is a next level genius at production.

[@ChaosPootato]

If it was sitting in a vat of liquid oxygen

[@kennystrawnmusic]

3:10 Lithium is much more electropositive than boron, which means that it will combust more easily with less oxygen - hence the formation of lithium boroxide when lithium borohydride burns. If on the other hand you add some liquid oxygen, then there's enough oxygen to make the combustion color of the boron overpower the combustion color of the lithium.

[@terribleterrier1685]

my thoughts also. It has something to do with Lithium being the primary oxidized element in atmospheric conditions and Boron becomes more actively oxidized at higher concentrations.

[@Muonium1]

I really do not think one needs to go to such lengths to explain it. In order for a substance to color flame, it must be in the vapor phase. Melting point of lithium: 180C Melting point of Boron: 2000C It really is likely that simple.

[@amlaansatapathy3675]

no it is the hydrogen that's burning in both cases. because the oxidation state of H changes from -1 to +1. Li and B are in their respective oxidation states of +1 and +3 all the time. I think the colour is due to the temp of the flame in low temp burning the lithium was able undergo electronic transition emitting its characteristic color but in high temp burning in Liquid O boron typical green color was prominent because of volatility

[@internetuser8922]

Pretty sure this is one of the best channels on KZbin.

[@tracybowling1156]

I love how the sulfur looks like lightning! It's beautiful.

[@SavinjaLabs]

Finally video on tert- butyllithium!! I remember when you announced it in the fluoroantimonic acid video!! So cool!

[@jurajvariny6034]

is he going to react tert- butyllithium with fluoroantimonic acid ?

[@SavinjaLabs]

@@jurajvariny6034 he already did that

[@swallerick1]

The liquid chlorine volcano at the end was so cool! Not related to this video, but do you have the equipment needed to work with elemental fluorine? I’m almost surprised I haven’t seen it featured in any of your videos yet, unless I missed one!

[@ChemicalForce]

No, but I have the opportunity to try to filming fluorine in a special laboratory at the factory where they work with pure fluorine. But this idea will be very expensive and I’m not ready to afford it yet with so many views 🥲

[@stevengill1736]

Yikes! That stuff is gnarly, but it would be a fascinating video. Is that a fluorine production facility or are they making interesting fluoro chemicals there? Thank you kindly for your fascinating videos....cheers!

[@m.parikshith247]

​@@ChemicalForce Bro you are one of a kind LEGEND I mean I really admire your content.🫡

[@adboshop]

t-ButLi in liquid O2 was mesmerizing... 👍

[@fano72]

Burning sulfur is magic. Edit: Your video recordings are magical.

[@buckstarchaser2376]

That was absolutely beautiful! Thanks for making it.

[@tiagoferreira086]

Fascinating video as always! Beautiful flame colors!

[@BertNielson]

Only needed to see the very first reaction to like the video. I really do appreciate your content.

[@zajimavepokusy1666]

Wow! Beautiful colors. The beauty of chemical reactions.

[@fizpaket1]

I'm convinced that he lives somewhere in a gigantic Sigma-Aldrich warehouse, sneaking around, making videos and sustaining himself on nothing but synthesized organics

[@Qn0Bi6]

My guess regarding the colors observed during the combustion of lithium borohydride: During combustion in air, only lithium is vaporized, and the lithium emission is in the red range. By adding liquid oxygen, the boron is also vaporized, and boron has a green emission. The boron emission then appears to be more intense than the lithium emission.

[@placeholerwav]

you do the craziest stuff on youtube, you deserve more subscribers

[@tomapc]

Awesome as always, thank you.

[@Kargoneth]

Beautiful fireworks. Thanks for the upload.

[@ParedCheese]

Always fascinating!

[@fredkow553]

my favorite canal, thanks for this new video

[@Calilasseia]

That is one excellent collection of camera shots! Your next mission, should you choose to accept it ... replicate this with trimethylaluminium or one of the dialkyl zincs. For those unfamiliar with these particular pyrophoric flamethrowers, they make tert-butyllithium look tame. Straight dimethylzinc is an accident waiting to happen except in the hands of a VERY skilled chemist, and even then, a LOT of precautions need to be taken. If that reagent cuts loose in an uncontrolled fashion, mayhem on an industrial scale ensues. But, the compounds I've just mentioned produce some interesting flame colours of their own, and would probably be spectacular to watch in liquid oxygen. Provided this can be done without lethal shrapnel and flaming debris of course, which is ALWAYS a hazard to be aware of with this pair of organometallics. A less explosive, but dangerously toxic one, is dimethylcadmium. Though that again is a choice for bunker chemistry. Far rarer are actinide organometallics, though I suspect no one outside a national security institution will ever be able to perform even simple experiments with those. I'm also wondering what would happen with organometallic caesium compounds. Which again probably comes under the heading of bunker chemistry. Or, for that matter, various methyl derivatives of various transition metals. Though generating hexavalent chromium in any quantity is, er, not advisable for the unskilled. Though of course, even this collection of nightmare experiments pales into insignificance once dioxygen difluoride or chlorine trifluoride are part of your collection of reagents. Oddly enough, Derek Lowe has several interesting accounts of vicious organometallics, along with FOOF and ClF3 on his chemistry blog. Delivered in his own inimitable style. Recommended reading for those who want to see hideously dangerous chemistry sprinkled with fun metaphors.

[@ChemicalForce]

I've already filmed studio material with trimethylaluminum and now I’m waiting for the opportunity to conduct experiments with it. ibb.co/jrZw8By But first just open this can without burning the laboratory and the entire building :D

[@Calilasseia]

@@ChemicalForce ... yes, handling that reagent will be a test of laboratory skills. Hoping yours meet the challenge :)

[@vortextube]

Another great one!

[@jimcoppa6946]

I absolutely love this Channel and all of its content thank you very much

[@user-ps2zr7jp6p]

That last shot was amazing 👏

[@TheSeriez1977]

A fantastic spectrum, great vid

[@dreamer_sim]

god i love ur vids they are the best chemistry vids u can find on yt. keep it up and never stop :D

[@Vile_old_Bastard_3545]

I second that 👍

[@mistercroc9407]

That's some of your best work

[@sammartin7900]

3:14 Boron burns apple green and lithium red - have you tried color filters? You might see both colors all the time with different intensity

[@davids5148]

Just...wonderful!

[@me0101001000]

The LiBH4 burning red is due to Li, but the green is because the O2 is attacking the B more dominantly than Li or H. Green is a characteristic color for B flame tests, similar to how red is for Li, lilac is for K, and a yellow-orange indicates Na.

[@echothebot]

Thank for you videos, I always learn something, Thank you!

[@createvideo561]

The only one who can ever think of doing something this amazing with tert butyllithium, damn bro that was amazing

[@mandardeodhar400]

You are so amazing. Thank you very much

[@supernovahm1178]

When we were 11, maybe 12 - studying the reactions of the alkali metals in science class, we were all desperate to see what potassium would do (since we were allowed to react sodium in person and it was crazy). We could find one or two super low-resolution video and microblocked-to-hell videos of it. People with access to this channel and in general, the insane number of videos on KZbin are just so lucky.

[@jimsvideos7201]

Chemistry _and_ pretty colours!

[@mototola86]

Amazing chemical slowmos on this channel

[@twitchlazy]

incredible!

[@alllove1754]

Yes!! ❤❤it's like you heard my request that I didn't even post, but had in my heart❤ To attempt to answer your question about LiBH4 and oxygen turning green, I believe it has to do with the electron jumping further down, or further up then down (?) But nonetheless, it's awesome that you found that. My hunch is you just showed why the Strontium based laser presents as green.

[@empmachine]

You just keep making magic eh? What wonderful reactions with compounds I would never see otw! The colours!! Just awesome! You ever try using Ink (replacement) syringes? I think they will fire better than real syringes and have very similar twist-off-style (so you could just twist off the sharp one, and twist on the one for ink). I think the materials are also similar, but dunno for sure.

[@alexhatfield2987]

What is there “not to like?” Fascinating chemistry, impressively captured rainbow coloured energetic reactions.

[@ozzymandius666]

A spectroscope would be cool, to see what's actually happening.

[@xxz4655]

This channel need one of them super slow o high zoom cameras to really see in detail

[@Vile_old_Bastard_3545]

Chemistry can be real good fun to watch.

[@Trifosgene]

I hope to see soon an entire video about tBuLi reactivity

[@jimmurphy6095]

You must have a draft hood/bench setup built for nuclear reactions. Great stuff.

[@uzairmuhammad8589]

Ohhh hhooo hhooo the green flame is beautiful

[@mr.bulldops7692]

Burning sulfur into liquid O2 is beautiful! Omg!

[@josephmedina3618]

I just worked with this today!

[@RocknR00ster]

Destin, from SmarterEveryDay would love that shot @10:53!

[@motore1977]

Great Video..hi from Italy..

[@ChemicalForce]

Ciao!

[@themonkeyspaw7359]

Love that sooty chlorine flame

[@xboxisgay23]

that reaction looks very cool, like little droplets of water fire

[@scrappydoo7887]

Well that's a title that grabs my attention 👍👍

[@AnthonyCabrera-cy4rx]

Love your's videos, can you do a video in the future, using more interhalogens compounds, like bromine trichloride??

[@peter360adventures9]

Awesome

[@whoeveriam0iam14222]

Thanks Sam o Nella for explaining the danger diamond

[@AJ-qv9yo]

Magical. Chemistry in slo-mo and macro. Imagine, if there is no other technological advanced life, these extreme reactions are only possible here, on Earth.

[@LightDiodeNeal]

Liquid O2? No wonder it takes so long to get through to their customer-services!!! 😛 Love this channel thanks ~ChemicalForce... You've got me trying to work out energy-levels thanks.! Of course it was the pentane burning yellow.! 🙂 Cool lithium blue!! Thanks! 😀 x 10^6

[@Kargoneth]

The lithium borohydride showed the green of boron once oxygen was added. Perhaps the red of the lithium oxidizing is less bright than the boron oxidizing, so we see the green, preferentially. A spectroscopic analysis through the reaction would be able to confirm whether both colours arw present and the ratio of their relative brightness.

[@soundsoflife9549]

Instead of the Li being ionized, creating the red flame, when excess O2 is added the Li would be less likely to ionize (forming LiOH/Li2O (and LiBO4?)). The B is obviously ionizing in preference to the Li after O2 is added producing the green emission which could be from oxidized BOx complexes volatilizing.

[@tizwah]

I think liquid oxygen makes it burn hotter so that more boron gets introduced into the flame. Since our eyes are more susceptible to green than to red it's likely that more boron color will drown out the red from the lithium.

[@pierreetienneschneider6731]

Holy shizzledinkles. This is MADNESS😊😊😊😊

[@bobsmith6079]

Another perfect video! Try adding the dragon spit to liquid ozone and liquid fluorine just for fun.

[@milanpetrik7419]

I guess that boron ionizes at higher temperatures than lithium, therefore its green color applies more when oxygen is added. Also lithium is more volatile, so that it resides outside of green flame.

[@NebulonRanger]

t-BuLi is the stuff of nightmares. The day when we can use something that isn't an extremely reactive alkali metal bonded to an extremely reactive alkane group in its place on a general level will be a momentous one lol

[@f800gt76]

may be boron flame is brighter, but boron itself is less volatile, when burned in air and we don't see it. But when burned in the excess of oxygen (in LO2)...

[@aceedcath]

You are is true magician😅

[@motore1977]

The blue flame for chemical reaction is a natural event by night from volcano lijen Indonesia..acid lake ecc..

[@pavelsejvl1072]

A video about other pyrophoric organometallic liquids such as dimethylzinc or trimethylaluminum would certainly be interesting. I don't know if it was here, but the reaction of one of the strongest bases tert-butyllithium with the strongest acid fluoroantimonic acid would certainly be interesting. 

[@ChemicalForce]

I did this reaction in my super acid video, nothing impressive :(

[@LFTRnow]

@Nurdrage and his old moniker should really enjoy this one.

[@Screedomy]

this guy must either own sigma-aldrich or have connections with that company that give him discounts beyond human comprehension

[@JustinKoenigSilica]

He can just make a company and then order chemicals in the name of the company. It's very easy just costs a bit.

[@markiangooley]

@@JustinKoenigSilicacost a few megabytes rather than a bit

[@natekloepfer1571]

I would be curious to see a video on carbon diselenide and how it dissolves white phosphorus and sulfur. Perhaps a barking-dog reaction with it!

[@ChemicalForce]

It lights up with difficulty (I haven’t personally tested it, but that’s what they write) so a barking dog reaction is unlikely to happen

[@stevengill1736]

Liquid oxygen poured onto charcoal makes an excellent blasting agent - probably could crush up barbecue briquettes, pour them in the blast hole, add LOX and an initiator and Bob's your uncle!

[@Esterified80]

Red color of lithium is actually due to neutral lithium probably because the compound is pretty covalent.

[@nigeldepledge3790]

Oh, I wonder what happens if you pour burning, molten sulphur into liquid oxygen? Oh, wait, what about t-BuLi? Chemical Force has got you covered. These and other questions that most chemists will never pursue, answered in glorious 4k slow-motion.

[@timothybaca6527]

FIRE FIRE FIRE!!!!

[@Kargoneth]

A conical reaction vessel could be interesting as deflected blobs would be guided back to the center.

[@ChemicalForce]

no, the walls of the vessel will quickly become covered with ice, and then the vessel with smoke :D

[@Kargoneth]

@@ChemicalForce Oh. That would be unfortunate.

[@Kargoneth]

@@ChemicalForce Darn.

[@davidbarts6144]

I would guess boron is involved in the green color of burning lithium borohydride. Perhaps unless LOX is added to the mix, not enough boron is volatilized to color the flame.

[@ManicPandaz]

I keep on thinking “you really should go to a doctor if it looks like this when you go to the washroom.”

[@ChemtechAdil]

Try some experiments with perchloric acid.

[@b3dubbs72]

NurdRage would love this

[@user-jv4kz2pm9c]

God bless you men !

[@djisydneyaustralia]

2:20 very reminiscent of plasma , the upper layer of flame at least

[@ACME_Kinetics]

I worked at UPS. They could absolutely find a way to destroy that packaging.

[@konstantinkhlopenkov4492]

You produce such impressive contents with beautiful flames, but can you upload an HDR version? KZbin should support HDR, and the flames do need a high dynamic range, which you can enjoy with your eyes, but not us viewing it through the screen...

[@ChemicalForce]

Unfortunately my camera only records 8 bit 4:2:0. My high speed camera can do this, but its buffer is only five seconds. I hope that in the near future I'll be able to update my camera and I'll manage to record 4:2:2 10 bit, then I'll be able to add HDR video. Thank you very much for the donation!

[@-LABORETORY]

Hey Can you make a video on 2,4 DNP but not detection of aldehyde, ketone other than that some interesting reactions like some explosive reactions.

[@picobyte]

The flame turning green may be the coppercontainer burning.

[@nickoolay]

Pls do some pyro experiments with trimethylaluminum

[@Muonium1]

You NEED a spectrometer. I have to see the spectrum of burning S with burning CO!! They're very cheap to get and you can use the free theremino software to analyze.

[@6754bettkitty]

4:54 Oh no, the dark arts!

[@bugabateinc971]

Sounds like t-butyl lithium drops detonate in 02(l)

[@Jake-wl2ol]

"Yo, check out how hard i can piss!"

[@user21XXL]

I'm not sure if this would work but maby hot copper sulfide (Cu+ or Cu++) would give nice green/blue flame in liquid o2 or HNO3(rfna)

[@markiangooley]

I think of that famous book called ignition! (Yes, the ! is part of the title.)