A Safe and Efficient Technique for the Production of HCl/DCl Gas

Simple Acid Vapor Method for Production of HCl and DCl Gas for IR Spectroscopy

“…The use of this experiment over more than 50 years has resulted in quite a variety of proposed experimental procedures to generate HCl gas or HCl and DCl gases and to do so by what often have been reported to be safer and/or simpler methods. − We wish to review the various methods that have been used and then focus on the specific parameters associated with what we consider to be a simpler and safer method to load an IR gas cell with these diatomic molecules. We refer to adding a few drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid to the cell and then utilizing the vapor pressure of HCl­(g) above a concentrated HCl­(aq) solution to fill the cell.…”

“…Over the past 50+ years a variety of methods to generate HCl­(g) and/or DCl­(g) have been reported. ,,− One direct method that has been used for some time is to employ an HCl gas cylinder with a gas-handling vacuum manifold system to fill a cell with HCl­(g) ,, or with solvation of HCl­(g) in in D 2 O­(l) to produce DCl­(g) . In addition to the need for a glass manifold system to charge a gas IR cell, there are obvious safety concerns for the routine undergraduate use of a high pressure HCl cylinder.…”

“…A follow-up suggestion was made to further modify the safety risk and simplify by the use of microscale glassware . This microscale method delivered a HCl/DCl gas mixture while also producing SO 2 gas by the reaction of thionyl chloride SOCl 2 with water or a water and deuterium oxide mixture.…”

“…This microscale method delivered a HCl/DCl gas mixture while also producing SO 2 gas by the reaction of thionyl chloride SOCl 2 with water or a water and deuterium oxide mixture. Mayer, Bard, and Cantrell used a nitrogen gas purge and then added water by a microliter syringe to thionyl chloride and allowed the product gas exiting the cell to bubble through an indicator solution to follow the progress of the reaction . This change eliminated the need for a complicated gas and vacuum manifold system.…”

“…26 A follow-up suggestion was made to further modify the safety risk and simplify by the use of microscale glassware. 27 This microscale method delivered a HCl/DCl gas mixture while also producing SO 2 gas by the reaction of thionyl chloride SOCl 2 with water or a water and deuterium oxide mixture. Mayer, Bard, and Cantrell used a nitrogen gas purge and then added water by a microliter syringe to thionyl chloride and allowed the product gas exiting the cell to bubble through an indicator solution to follow the progress of the reaction.…”