Silver+Acetylide

A common misconception about silver acetylide is that it explodes without the evolution of gaseous products and that its chemical formula is Ag2C2. In reality it is a [|double salt] with the silver salt it was produced from. The anion of the parent compound acts as the oxidizer in the decomposition reaction.
 * Silver acetylide** is an inorganic chemical compound with the formula Ag2C2, a [|metal acetylide]. The name is derived from the way it is synthesized, and emphasizes that the compound can be regarded as a salt of the weak [|acid], [|acetylene]. Since acetylene is called "ethyne" in the modern [|IUPAC] nomenclature, the name "silver ethynide" would be more appropriate. In either case, the name makes it clear that the anion consists of two [|carbon] atoms linked by a [|triple bond]. The less specific alternative "silver carbide" is not used, although the analogous calcium compound CaC2 is called [|calcium carbide].

Silver acetylide can be produced by passing [|acetylene] gas through a solution of [|silver nitrate] 2 AgNO3 + C2H2 (g) → Ag2C2 (s) + 2 HNO3 (aq) The reaction product is a greyish to white precipitate. This is the same synthesis from [|Berthelot] in which he first found silver acetylide in 1866. Silver acetylide can be formed on the surface of silver or high-silver alloys, e.g. in pipes used for transport of acetylene, if silver brazing was used in their joints.

Disilver acetylide || Disilver(1+) ethyndiide || Argentous ethyndiide
 * ~ Silver acetylide ||
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e3/Silver_acetylide.png/120px-Silver_acetylide.png width="120" height="22" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Silver_acetylide.png"]] ||
 * [[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e9/Silver_acetylide3.jpg/200px-Silver_acetylide3.jpg width="200" height="150" link="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Silver_acetylide3.jpg"]] ||
 * [|Preferred IUPAC name]
 * [|Systematic name]
 * Other names

Argentous percarbide

Silver(1+) dicarbon

Silver ethynide

Silver percarbide ||
 * ~ Identifiers ||
 * [|CAS number] || [|7659-31-6] ||
 * [|Jmol]-3D images || [|Image 1] ||
 * [|SMILES]

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 * [|InChI]

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 * ~ Properties ||
 * [|Molecular formula] || C2Ag2 ||
 * [|Molar mass] || 239.76 g mol−1 ||
 * Appearance || gray or white solid ||
 * [|Melting point] || 120 °C ||
 * [|Boiling point] || decomposes ||
 * [|Solubility] in [|water] || insoluble ||
 * ~ Hazards ||
 * Main [|hazards] || High Explosive, Toxic ||
 * [|Flash point] || flammable ||