How to Make Copper Acetate from Copper

You can make copper acetate [Cu(CH₃COO)₂] from common household materials to use in science projects and to grow natural blue-green crystals. Here's what you do:

Materials

You only need three simple ingredients to prepare copper acetate from copper metal:

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• Copper (e.g., copper wire or pennies minted before 1982)
• Hydrogen peroxide
• White vinegar

Procedure

1. Mix equal parts vinegar and hydrogen peroxide.
2. Heat the mixture. You can bring it to a boil so that you're certain it's hot enough, but once you reach that temperature, you can turn down the heat.
3. Add copper. For a small amount of liquid, try about 5 pennies or a strip of copper wire. If you are using wire, make sure it is uncoated.
4. Initially, the mixture will bubble and become cloudy. The solution will turn blue as copper acetate is produced.
5. Wait for this reaction to proceed. Once the liquid clears up, heat the mixture until all the liquid is gone. Collect the solid, which is copper acetate. Alternatively, you can remove the mixture from heat, place the container in a place where it won't be disturbed, and wait for copper acetate monohydrate [Cu(CH₃COO)₂.H₂O] crystals to deposit on the copper.

Copper Acetate Uses

Copper acetate is used as a fungicide, catalyst, oxidizer, and as a blue-green pigment for making paint and other art supplies. The blue-green crystals are easy enough to grow as a beginner crystal-growing project.

More Chemicals to Make

Copper acetate isn't the only chemical you can make from common materials.

• Make Copper Sulfate: Copper sulfate can be used to grow bright blue crystals.
• Make Sodium Acetate (Hot Ice): Sodium acetate is produced from the reaction between baking soda and vinegar.
• Make Ammonium Nitrate: Make ammonium nitrate by reacting nitric acid and ammonia.