Ammonium carbonate

Ammonium carbonate is an ammonium salt. It is colorless and is composed of water soluble cubic crystals. It can be synthesized by reacting carbon dioxide with ammonia. It is widely employed as a CO₂ source in fire extinguishers. Calorimetric estimation of enthalpies of absorption of CO₂ in aqueous solutions of ammonium carbonate in the temperature range of 35-80°C have been reported.

Ammonium carbonate is commonly used in producing ammonium sulfate as a fertilizer. It is formed by the reaction of ammonia and carbon dioxide. Ammonium carbonate is also the principal ingredient of smelling salts because of its characteristic strong ammonia odor.

Ammonium carbonate has been used as a reducing agent in the preparation of an iron-catalyst for supercritical Fischer Tropsch synthesis (SC-FTS). It may also be used in the hydrometallurgical extraction of zinc, copper and nickel.

Ammonium carbonate may be employed in the following studies:

• Preparation of 3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-one and 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives, via Biginelli and Hantzsch reactions.
• Preparation of ammonium carbonate buffer.
• Synthesis of dihyropyridones derivatives.