How to perform reactions at low temperatures

Cooling baths are a fundamental part of laboratory equipment, used for cooling and maintaining low temperatures during chemical reactions. Low-temperature reactions can be important for many reasons, such as reducing unwanted side reactions, slowing down reactions that are too fast, and enabling reactions that require low temperatures to proceed. In this blog post, we’ll explore some of the different cooling baths used in chemistry for low-temperature reactions.

The ice bath is one of the most common and straightforward cooling baths. It involves filling a container with ice and water, then immersing the reaction vessel into it. Ice baths can maintain temperatures between 0-5 °C, making them useful for reactions that require temperatures below room temperature but not as low as other cooling baths. If sodium chloride is added to the ice bath then temperatures down to -20 °C can be achieved.

If very low temperatures are required then cooling baths with liquid nitrogen can be used. A bath of pure liquid nitrogen would be at -196 °C; however this would evaporate very quickly. Liquid nitrogen can be used in conjunction with a variety of solvents to achieve a range of cooling bath temperatures.In conclusion, cooling baths are essential tools for low-temperature reactions in chemistry. The type of cooling bath used depends on the required temperature range and the specific needs of the reaction. By selecting the appropriate cooling bath, chemists can carry out reactions more efficiently and with greater control.