Silver acetate

Silver acetate is an inorganic compound with the empirical formula CH3CO2Ag (or AgC2H3O2). It is a photosensitive, white, crystalline solid. It is a useful reagent in the laboratory as a source of silver ions lacking an oxidizing anion. It has been used in some antismoking drugs. Silver acetate is an inorganic compound with the empirical formula CH3CO2Ag (or AgC2H3O2). It is a photosensitive, white, crystalline solid. It is a useful reagent in the laboratory as a source of silver ions lacking an oxidizing anion. It has been used in some antismoking drugs. Silver acetate can be synthesized by the reaction of acetic acid and silver carbonate at 45–60 °C. After allowing cooling to room temperature, the solid product precipitates. It can also be precipitated from concentrated aqueous solutions of silver nitrate by treatment with a solution of sodium acetate. The structure of silver acetate consists of 8-membered Ag2O4C2 rings formed by a pair of acetate ligands bridging a pair of silver centres. Silver acetate finds use in certain transformations in organic synthesis. Silver acetate is used to prepare sulfenamides from disulfides and secondary amines: A solution of silver acetate in pyridine absorbs hydrogen, producing metallic silver: Silver acetate is a reagent for direct ortho-arylation (to install two adjacent substituents on an aromatic ring) of benzylamines and N-methylbenzylamines. The reaction is palladium-catalyzed and requires a slight excess of silver acetate. This reaction is shorter than previous ortho-arylation methods. Silver acetate can be used to convert certain organohalogen compounds into alcohols. It may be used, in spite of its high cost, in instances where a mild and selective reagent is desired.