3 ms·

So... I did my PhD in a group that did a lot of phosphorus and P4 chemistry. Even though I rarely dabbled myself, the most interesting ligands were, iirc, unoxi

So... I did my PhD in a group that did a lot of phosphorus and P4 chemistry. Even though I rarely dabbled myself, the most interesting ligands were, iirc, unoxidized phosphorus compounds. This has two oxygens still, notoriously difficult to get rid of. My coworkers decided to take on a 'move fast and break things' mentality, and hilariously had to transport a crate full of highly dangerous P4 by car to our lab when the last European supplier closed down, as to secure the future of the research; had they crashed the car, that would have made for some interesting headlines. So, not detracting from the importance of avoiding P4; but I'm left wondering if this still needs work to really make an impact on industry and research. I fully accept the (huge) possibility that I'm wrong though because it's been a while and this never really was my specialty. Either way cool to see P4 chemistry on the HN front page!

HPsquared 3y ago
The article says it's better for the environment (maybe less energy consumption or waste products?)... Either way, that's one way to get permission for the using a more hazardous process. Edit: any other interesting John Drury Clark style anecdotes?
- isoprophlex 3y ago
  Hehe, well, to add some nuance: P4 is incredibly nasty stuff, and you definitely don't want a domestic terrorist or whatever buffoon with a lust for chemical destruction to get a hold of this stuff, so the whole batch of P4 sitting at that shut down factory was due to disappear into the proper channels of destruction. But it's a small world, so a guy knew a guy, and we were good to pick up a material quantity that wasn't too felonious, but sizable enough to keep the somewhat underfunded research going. I got out of chemistry for being too clumsy, a hazard for myself and others. I left without shoes one day, having dropped a big flask with incredibly smelly and volatile amines on my feet. They smell like essence of fish, so, the shoes were a total loss. I kept a spare pair in the lab ever since. Another one, that doesn't really go anywhere: Working with tertiary butyl lithium was always super fun. It's this crowded group of negatively charged carbon that is forced, against its will, to bond to a positive lithium ion. The thing is pretty eager to react, but funnily enough it's always dissolved in flammable solvents. If you spritz a little bit out of your syringe, it immediately goes woosh. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9VNaUY-ri4&pp=ygUYdGVydCBidXR5bCBsaXRoaXVtIGZsYW1l https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9VNaUY-ri4&pp=ygUYdGVydCBidXR...

HPsquared 3y ago

The article says it's better for the environment (maybe less energy consumption or waste products?)... Either way, that's one way to get permission for the using a more hazardous process. Edit: any other interesting John Drury Clark style anecdotes?

isoprophlex 3y ago
Hehe, well, to add some nuance: P4 is incredibly nasty stuff, and you definitely don't want a domestic terrorist or whatever buffoon with a lust for chemical destruction to get a hold of this stuff, so the whole batch of P4 sitting at that shut down factory was due to disappear into the proper channels of destruction. But it's a small world, so a guy knew a guy, and we were good to pick up a material quantity that wasn't too felonious, but sizable enough to keep the somewhat underfunded research going. I got out of chemistry for being too clumsy, a hazard for myself and others. I left without shoes one day, having dropped a big flask with incredibly smelly and volatile amines on my feet. They smell like essence of fish, so, the shoes were a total loss. I kept a spare pair in the lab ever since. Another one, that doesn't really go anywhere: Working with tertiary butyl lithium was always super fun. It's this crowded group of negatively charged carbon that is forced, against its will, to bond to a positive lithium ion. The thing is pretty eager to react, but funnily enough it's always dissolved in flammable solvents. If you spritz a little bit out of your syringe, it immediately goes woosh. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9VNaUY-ri4&pp=ygUYdGVydCBidXR5bCBsaXRoaXVtIGZsYW1l https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e9VNaUY-ri4&pp=ygUYdGVydCBidXR...