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Ammonium acetate, often known as C2H7NO2, is a crystalline white solid with a somewhat acetous odor. The reaction between ammonia and acetic acid leads to the production of this ammonium salt. Ammonium Acetate is also known as ammonium ethanoate and Azanium Acetate. It is widely used as a diuretic. It is often used to prepare buffer solutions as it is made up of a weak base and a weak acid combined together. In this article, we will have a look at the structure, properties, production process, and health hazards of ammonium acetate.
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Keyterms: Ammonium acetate, Ammonia, Acetic acid, Crystalline solid, Ammonium ethanoate, Azanium Acetate, Buffer solutions, Ammonium salt, Weak acid, Weak base
What is Ammonium Acetate?
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Ammonium acetate is a salt that is formed as a result of acetic acid with ammonia. This ammonium salt is utilized in a variety of applications, including food preservation, medicines, and chemical analysis. This salt's chemical name is Ammonium Acetate, and it's also known as the spirit of Mindererus in its aqueous form. When used as a food acidity regulator, ammonium acetate salt is the most effective. It is, nonetheless, toxic to the atmosphere and living environment.
Ammonium Acetate
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Ammonium Acetate Detailed Video Explanation:
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Structure of Ammonium Acetate
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Ammonium acetate has the chemical formula C2H7NO2 and a molar mass of 77.08 g.mol-1. It's also made up of the acetate ion COO-1 (derived from the breakdown of acetic acid in water) and the ammonium ion NH4+ (from ammonia dissociation in water).
Ammonium acetate is volatile at low pressure therefore it has been used to replace cell buffers with non-volatile salts that further helps in the processing of various chemical samples. The chemical structure of the organic molecule ammonium acetate is commonly represented as follows:
Structure of Ammonium Acetate
Properties of Ammonium Acetate
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Ammonium acetate is a mixture of a weak acid (acetic acid) and a weak base (glucose). We make a buffer solution using this salt and acetic acid to control the pH levels. However, because ammonium acetate is volatile at low pressures, it is not widely used as a buffering agent.
| Melting Point | 114oC |
| Density | 1.17 g/cm3 |
| Molecular Weight | 277.083 g/mol |
| Viscosity | 21 |
| Molecular/Chemical Formula | C2H7NO2 |
| Monoisotopic Mass | 77.047676 Da |
Production of Ammonium acetate
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Ammonium acetate may be produced in the same way as other acetates are made, i.e. by neutralizing acetic acid. Furthermore, we employ acetic acid in the process, which is used to neutralize ammonium carbonate. Furthermore, in the chemical industry, this is produced by saturation of ammonia-glacial acetic acid:
2CH3COOH + (NH4)2CO3→ 2CH3COONH4+ H2CO3
H2CO3→ CO2+ H2O
CH3COOH + NH3→ CH3COONH4
Ammonium Acetate Reactions
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Ammonium Acetate mainly serves as an acetamide precursor. The following is the reaction for the same:
NH4CH3CO2 → CH3C(O)NH2 + H2O
It's also used as a diuretic.
Ammonium acetate and acetamide
Health Hazards of Ammonium Acetate
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- If ammonium acetate dust is breathed in any way, it can cause irritation to the nose and mouth.
- It's possible that swallowing this salt can irritate your lips and stomach.
- Rashes can occur if this chemical comes into contact with the eyes.
- The same is true when ammonium acetate comes in contact with the skin.
- Any exposure to this substance might cause gastrointestinal and respiratory discomfort.
Uses of Ammonium Acetate
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- Ammonium acetate is used widely. It's commonly used as a controlling agent for food acidity. It alters or regulates the alkalinity or acidity of foods. It's also commonly employed in the Knoevenagel condensation technique as a catalyst. The Borch reaction during organic synthesis uses the molecule as one of the greatest sources of ammonia.
- A protein precipitating reagent is made by combining ammonium acetate with completely distilled water.
- The substance may also be used as a buffer in ESI (electrospray ionization) mass spectrometry of molecules and proteins, as well as a mobile phase in HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography).
- Ammonium acetate is even more effective as a diuretic.
- Because ammonium acetate is unstable at low pressure, it is utilized to replace cell buffers with a variety of non-explosive salts in the processing of mass spectrometry samples.
- It's used in the production of explosives.
- Foam rubber is made with this material.
- It's used to keep meat fresh.
- Vinyl plastics are made with this material.
- Ammonium acetate is used in a variety of agricultural goods.
The substance is employed as a reagent in analytical chemistry. It is utilized as a reagent in several dialysis methods to aid in the diffusion of impurities.
Things to Remember
- Ammonium Acetate is a mixture of a weak acid (acetic acid) and a weak base (glucose).
- We make a buffer solution using this salt and acetic acid to control the pH. However, because ammonium acetate is volatile at low pressures, it is not widely used as a buffering agent.
- Pesticides, herbicides, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications are all made with ammonium acetate as a basic ingredient.
- Furthermore, it is a precursor in the manufacturing of acetamide (a chemical molecule used to make plasticizers)
- Ammonium acetate irritates the lips, eyes, skin, and nose mostly. Furthermore, ingestion is extremely harmful and can result in tissue necrosis.
- It also has the ability to break cell membranes, enter organisms, and saponify skin. When heated, it emits poisonous gases that can harm the lungs. It may degrade sodium hypochlorite in a matter of seconds.
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Sample Questions
Ques. Explain what is the technique for making ammonium acetate and its solution in detail? (5 marks)
Ans. When ethanoic acid, the IUPAC term for acetic acid, is properly neutralized in the presence of ammonium carbonate, a chemical reaction occurs, allowing ammonium acetate to be produced.
Saturating glacial ethanoic acid with NH3 or ammonia produces the chemical interchangeably. Because ammonium acetate is hygroscopic, crystalline production of this chemical is difficult.
- You'll need to dissolve 770 grams of ammonium acetate in roughly 800 mL of water to make a 10 M ammonium acetate solution in 1 L.
- With water, you'll need to modify the volume for 1L.
- Following that, filter sterilization is required.
- Alternatively, 77 grams of ammonium acetate can be dissolved in 70 mL water at room temperature to make a 100 mL solution of the chemical.
Ques. What are some of the applications of ammonium acetate? (3 marks)
Ans. The major precursor of acetamide, an organic chemical compound whose systematic IUPAC name is ethanamide, is ammonium acetate. Ammonium acetate is a diuretic that is commonly used. This chemical, frequently in conjunction with acetic acid, is commonly employed in the manufacture of buffer solutions because it is the salt of a weak base and a weak acid (solutions that resist a change in pH when subjected to acidic or alkaline reagents).
De-icing agents such as ammonium acetate are also employed. It should be noted that this chemical is also utilized as a catalyst in a number of specified organic chemistry processes. The Borch reaction and the Knoevenagel condensation are two examples.
Ques. Comment on ammonium acetate's solubility. (5 marks)
Ans. Ammonium acetate is water-soluble. At zero degrees Celsius, the solubility of this acetous salt in water is roughly 102 g/100 mL. The compound's water solubility in water increases as the temperature rises.
For example, at a temperature of 80 °C, its solubility will reach 5330 grams per liter of water. It's worth mentioning that the chemical is soluble in liquid ammonia, acetone, and alcohol.
It dissolves thinly in methanol, with solubilities of 7.89 g/100 mL at 15°C and 131.24 g/100 ml at 94.2°C. The compound's solubility criteria also include:
Water solubility
- 148 g/100 mL at 4°C
- 143 g/100 mL at 20°C
- 533 g/100 mL at 80°C
Dimethylformamide solubility
- g/100 g
Ques. Is ammonium acetate a poisonous substance? (2 marks)
Ans. Although ammonium acetate is not a hazardous material, inhaling it can cause respiratory tract irritation and skin irritation. If absorbed via the skin, it might be dangerous.
Ques. What is the most common use for a strong ammonium acetate solution? (2 marks)
Ans. It's utilized as a diuretic, diaphoretic, and moderate expectorant. Strong ammonia is employed in this solution to neutralize the excess glacial acetic acid and achieve neutrality to avoid ammonium acetate's incompatibility with lead.
Ques. In the case of strong ammonium acetate, what indicator is employed to regulate the pH? (2 marks)
Ans. When utilizing formic acid as a pH modifier, the eluent pH used for separation should be 3.8 to 5.8, and when using ammonia, the eluent pH should be 8.5 to 10.5 for an ammonium acetate buffer in water.
Ques. What is the purpose of using ammonium acetate in DNA extraction? (2 marks)
Ans. The presence of debris in the DNA solution might cause DNA to degrade over time and hinder the polymerase chain reaction. Proteins were precipitated with ammonium acetate, and DNA was pelleted with a sodium acetate-isopropanol combination before being washed with ethanol.
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