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Topic: Quenching reactions fast vs. slowly  (Read 2398 times)

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Offline Elan

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Quenching reactions fast vs. slowly
« on: April 18, 2014, 08:18:01 PM »
I'm curious, has anyone actually noticed a difference between when you quench a reaction slowly versus when you quench it rapidly (i.e. drop-wise versus stream)? I've always been taught that faster is better, but I'd like to know what you all have learned from your experiences.

Offline Zensation

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Re: Quenching reactions fast vs. slowly
« Reply #1 on: April 18, 2014, 08:35:00 PM »
As long as doing it fast doesn't produce excessive heat and cause valuable product to splash into the condenser or other connected pieces, then I say go for it. If it does produce excessive heat and your substrate can handle it then go for it. This is of course a general guide line and would vary depending on reaction conditions.

Offline TheUnassuming

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Re: Quenching reactions fast vs. slowly
« Reply #2 on: April 19, 2014, 12:18:06 PM »
It really depends on the reaction being quenched and how you are doing it. 
If there is going to be gas production in the quench then slowly is a good call.  Also as already stated if there is going to be heat produced by quenching (like most acid/base quenches) you should go slowly as well unless you know your compound is rock solid stable and the solvent won't boil out. 
Generally start slowly, especially with a new reaction, until you know how its going to react.  Better to possibly loose some yield due to that than because it erupted out of the flask. 
When in doubt, avoid the Stille coupling.

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