AMMONIUM

Updated 05-May-2020.

Mondo shtuff from around the internet, all about AMMONIUM!

Lecture demonstration of ammonium amalgam

Metallic ammonium: It has been pointed out by Ramsey that metallic ammonium (NH4) may be important in determining the properties of Uranus and Neptune. The relation for this metal at pressures of importance in this connection is calculated by quantal methods. The transition pressure for the phase transition from mixed crystals of ammonia and hydrogen (NH3 and H2) to ammonium metal is also investigated and found to be almost certainly less than 250 000 atmospheres, so that the metallic phase will persist throughout the bulk of the two planets mentioned.

Does metallic ammonium exist?: THE ammonium ion NH₄⁺ behaves in many ways like an alkali metal ion. This led Ramsey¹ to propose that monovalent ammonium metal (NH₄⁺ ions immersed in an almost uniform, degenerate sea of electrons) is stable at pressures much lower than typical insulator-metal transition pressures² of megabars ~10¹¹ Pa (10⁵ Pa = 1 bar). Subsequently, it was estimated³ that the transition from a mixture of NH₃ and H₂ molecules to metallic ammonium, occurs at a pressure of less than 2.5×10¹⁰ Pa. If this estimate were correct, metallic ammonium would be of great interest to experimental high pressure physicists, and to planetary physicists. Indeed, metallic ammonium has been invoked in some^4,5 but not all models for the interiors of Uranus and Neptune; and its existence could be of importance⁶ for calculations of the interior magnetic fields of these planets.

My botty best at summarizing from Wikipedia: the ammonium cation is a positively charged polyatomic ion with the chemical formula NH+4 . it is formed by the protonation of ammonia (NH3) . the degree to which am formation of ammonium compounds can also occur in the vapor phase . ammonia salts are very soluble in water, an exception is ammoniam hexachloroplatinate . most simple ammoni ammonium ions form an amalgam which decomposes to release ammonia and hydrogen . salt is heated in presence of alkali hydroxide releasing a gas with characteristic smell which of course is ammoni NH3 (gas) + HCl (aq) -> NH4Cl(gas) Ammonia when passed through CuSO4 (Copper sulphate) solution turns from blue to deep blue the ion has a tetrahedral structure and isoelectronic with methane and borohydride . the ammonium cation is called a primary, secondary, reaction forming ammonium ion occurs between dimethylamine and acid . dimethylammonium has four organic groups attached to the nitrogen atom . an unusual class of organic amine salts are derivatives of ammonium is an important source of nitrogen for many plant species . it is toxic to most crop species and is rarely applied as a sole nitrogen source . urea is less toxic and can be stored more efficiently .