mr.generic.user

it has very strong red tones, but the substance is still submerged. when i remove the cathode from solution, the substance clings to it. kinda looks felt like in texture as one would expect, but it is very much more red at that point. i thought that maybe the maroon look was the fact that it was still 'wet', the same way stones get deeper in tone when wet. i have not yet been able to dry it out completely don't want it exposed directly to air for fear that it would oxidize more... to dry i was thinking of using everclear and a homemade vacuum pump or something, if you have any good ideas about how to dry it without letting it oxidize please tell me. i tend to make things more complicated at times. is there a way to test if it is indeed copper or copper(i) oxide?

(do this outside, don't want to inhale anything.) 1) fill glass container 2/3 - 3/4 full white vinegar. 2) add copper 3) add table salt, after a few days, solution turns blue due to copper ions floating in solution. 4) using non-reacting carbon rods, electrolysis of blue solution. maroon - red build up on cathode ( i *THINK* this is copper(I) oxide [Cu2O].) guess: a) salt corrodes copper. b) vinegar (acetic acid?) hates corroded copper, rips off molecule strips chlorine floats copper ion in solution (pretty blue) c) in electrolysis, ions migrate to cathode, bonds with oxygen from water in during the trip, but some extra electrons donated by the introduced electric current take up the space some valence electrons in the molecule, keeping the copper from oxidising fully to CuO. is this correct or are some other reactions causing impurities in the molecule?

your right, (alcohol flamable) slipped my mind. no i was going to use an open container, that is why i wanted it to drive out the regular atmosphere, but i don't want it to catch fire, and i was worried about that i might take away too much oxygen. because it would be difficult to use C02 pistol bottles or paintball tanks to drive out the regular air (and the fire hazard from alcohol), that idea will remain just that, thanks for the reminder (can't believe i overlooked it..... duh.....) my chem is not. i remember things like don't touch phosphorus, potassium, sodium, or take them near water in pure form from HS (cool ball of fire, greek fire, willie pete grenade, etc). i think i see where you are going w/wiki on fehling's solution. not sure if they are all able to be gotten w/o a license, i'll have to look. skimming it looks like what i want is precipitated when i add something that meets the test requirements to the solution though. CaptainPanic, why i want copper(I) oxide, i want to do some experimenting in making some a solar panel i am designing in my head. the old "burn one copper plate" cell explains the use of the copper(i) oxide, but i don't want to make that one ( and it is hard to harvest that oxide correctly from the plate ), just use the Cu2O for its properties (semiconductor, light slows down to speed of sound) in the design in my head. trying to use carbon and some different substrates (i can't grow the specific silicon crystals needed / too expensive to buy). when used correctly carbon can also demonstrate semiconductor properties. I thought this could be the case (pyrolitic graphite is conductive accross a layer but not between, and it resists all magnetic fields). so i wanted to tinker, maybe if i get lucky, i can come up with an efficient alternative to Si cells. if i did i would give it to the world ( i think gnu has hardware gpl's that allow personal use and retain royalty rights for commercial use like they do for software. ) if i could make it at home and it does well, think what would happen if someone actually RESEARCHED and MANUFACTURED it.... and if it doesn't work, it will be worth the time for the fun and learning. besides, if we all left the science to those employed as scientists, Einstein would have remained a patent clerk............ ( no insult to scientists intended ) sorry, that was long. i hope it didn't sound rude. i am happy and thankful for any hints or help i can get. and if i can get it, and the solar cell stuff working, i will be more than happy to share it ( and how to make it ) with you guys ( and the whole world ). if the cells work, i just don't want to see them get real expensive, especially since it would be an answer we've been looking for. --thanks.....

thanks to all for input! John Cuthber, is this a solution for electrolysis, or a process for reducing? if so what process would i use to do it? speaking of reducing (this may be a bad idea, let me know) could it be done if i mixed copper (II) oxide with carbon powder (ground charcoal [raw NOT briquette]), denatured alcohol, more carbon powder on top and heated with a torch in a bottle or something? my thinking (maybe very wrong) some of the carbon will form carbon dioxide and the alcohol evaporates driving out regular atmosphere, some of the rest of the carbon may pull some oxygen off of the copper (II) oxide causing some cu to bind with CuO to form Cu2O (i think that is copper I oxide). would i get reactions from the alcohol i don't want? would the temps needed be too hot? like animaniacs, is this GOOD IDEA or BAD IDEA?

is there a good way to make coper (i) oxide using electrolysis and / or household chemicals? i want to do some solar experiments with it, but not the 'baked' copper plate thing. i want to tinker with it. i get at best a small amount from saltwater electrolysis, can i do something to encourage its formation, or convert copper(2) oxide to copper (I) oxide somehow??? thanks.....