Monday, August 26, 2013

Nitroglycerin - Coolest Organic Molecule


My favorite organic molecule is Nitroglycerin. It was discovered by an Italian chemist, Ascanio Sobero, in 1846. It's been used to manufacture explosives and dynamite used by mining industries and construction companies. Therefore, this organic molecule is extremely dangerous and should be handled with care whenever coming in contact with it. For example, several chemists died in a huge laboratory exposition some years after its discovery during testing of nitroglycerin molecules. Nitroglycerin is a dense, oily liquid that detonates when heated to 218 degrees. It’s very explosive because it contains oxidant and fuel, it's exothermic (the reaction releases an enormous amount of heat), and it produces large amounts of gas. The chemical equation is as follows:
(frostburg.edu/chem)

4C3H5(ONO2)3(l) --> 12CO2(g) + 10H20(g) + 6N2(g) + O2(g)

Surprisingly, this organic molecule is also used to treat chest pains. Nitroglycerin relaxes blood vessels in the body so the heart doesn't have to work as hard and need as much oxygen. It only contains one milligram of nitroglycerin diluted with inert matter, therefore making it completely unexplosive. Brands such as Nitrolingual, Nitromist, Nitrostat are all over the counter brands that use nitroglycerin in their products for chest pains in tablets and/or sprays. However, the side effects of these medicines include blurred vision, vomiting, dry mouth, hives, pale skin, blistering, and dizziness.
(www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus)

The coolest part about Nitroglycerin is that it's powerful enough to make explosives but can also be consumed by the human body.

References

Medline Plus www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus

General Chemistry Online frostburg.edu/chem
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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2013 at 10:53 PM

    I found your blog post extremely interesting and never would have thought that nitroglycerin with its explosive nature would have ever been used to treat chest pain!

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  2. AnonymousAugust 29, 2013 at 12:04 AM

    Ka-boom!

    I admit Nitroglycerin is pretty interesting. I know nitroglycerin as a substance that is liquid, like gas or oil. So learning that it is used for explosives is amazing since it is potent and reactive enough to cause damage to stuffs when mixed with other stuffs, but what is most shocking is that the very same stuff that can be used for explosives is also used for medicine such as chest and heart pain!

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  3. Nathaniel RieveschlAugust 30, 2013 at 4:28 PM

    Great post. As an EMT, I have administered nitroglycerin to patients before. One patient I recall was having serious chest pain and had a very high blood pressure. It was about 200/150 or so which is bad! As you said, nitroglycin dilates the blood vessels and helps alleviate chest pain for a variety of reasons. I have seen nitroglycerin work. For this particular patient, his BP lowered and his pain lessened. You just need to be sure the patient has a high enough blood pressure or else they will pass out if they take it. There are a few other contraindications too, like if they are taking ED meds.

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  4. AnonymousAugust 30, 2013 at 4:51 PM

    Working in the Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear Warfare and Defense field in the Army i have had the opportunity to play around with Nitroglycerin. I can attest to its considerable damaging affects. As a CBRN officer we have to do Sensitive Site Assessments and Sensitive Site Extractions of HME "home-made explosive" labs. In training we have noticed a pattern that most HME labs contain nitric acid, rie or some type of castrol beans as well as nitroglycerin. Very good post!!!!!

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  5. AnonymousAugust 31, 2013 at 10:25 PM

    It really is interesting because it is used for two completely opposite things.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Mark PerraultDecember 16, 2018 at 11:32 AM

    you are very right.
    HCHON
    161810
    or16180 3399 ring a bell
    big bang - formation of Nitroglycerin and compression 160/6 temp gets up to 13 C
    remember one Hydrogen atom to start not hot.
    c2 H atoms - 300 million radius XY in graphene pattern maybe
    c2 layers stacked up Z of graphene and now your talking

    Bees make honey
    and graphene

    Carbon - natural pattern starting with an equilateral triangle with the lines coming up the base and out 120 degrees +x +y and -X +Y.

    Base of graphene and the pillars of the universe, diamonds.
    Oxygen centres in the middle of compression

    earth is the centre of compression 160/6

    a carbon rod and heavy water...


    earth the queen bee in a carbon hive


    Pearl in a flattened shell


    central processor of a biological computer


    a brain

    Data base, events happened at cartesian coordinates at TIME now.
    Time is concurrent events to the CPU of the Particle without mass,
    the left out South magnetic field or Y - quark.


    location is fact NOW.


    need latitude and Longitude alone each are nothin +x-X=0 distance or movement between the wind pairs.

    direction movement and no movement - choice, thought, freewill
    +0- X
    +?- choice but alone where to go?

    point is not a location
    triangulation is needed 3 quarks leaving one out.

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