On Handling Solutions of Alkyllithium Handling salntiom of alkyllithium in ether and hydrocarbon solvents has always been a prohlem becawe of their extreme resct,ivit,y to oxygen, carbon dioxide, and moist,me, creating an extreme fire hazard. The manufacturer [Faote Mineral Company, Extoil, Pa.] of solutions of these alkyllithiums recommends that t,hev he handled hv means of s. hvoodermie svrinee. This method. however. is syringe due to evaporation or resct,ion with the atmosphere. Repeated punctures of the septum also create air leakage into the bottle. We wish to convey a. simple hut highly effective technique for deeling with this problem. The method is as follows: The nlbher sentum is reolaced with s. two-haled rubber stonper equivped with two right angle bends. One of tke bends is.attached to a very slow flow of nitrogen h i means of rnbher tuhine so that in effect the bottle is flushed with nitronen. The other tube is nlaced iu a preflushed vessel to contain the alkyllithium salotion (graduated dropping funnels, etc.) and the b o b tleis tipped so that theliquid is forced out under gentlo nitrogen pressure. When the desired qoantity is delivered the bottle is brought to a vertical position again and the vessel flushed far afew seconds and then protected from the atmosphere. The bottle is then allowed to flush far a few seconds and the rubber septum replaced.
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704
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Journal of Chemical Education
