[Histonet] Silver Nitrate

[John Kiernan]

Dear Andi,
 
For staining I'm sure it will make no difference which type of silver nitrate you use. This compound is available at 99.9999% purity for analytical purposes! My experience of silver staining has been mostly with nervous tissue, for which the ACS reagent grade (99%) is fine. If a silver stain goes wrong, it's very unlikely to be the fault of the AgNO3.
 
Solutions of silver nitrate (in distilled or deionized water) can be kept for years in brown glass bottles, and can be re-used many times. filter out any bits of sections before returning the solution to its bottle. If a solution of silver nitrate has a greyish tinge it should be replaced; such a solution is likely to deposit and amplify "dirt". Be careful not to contaminate silver nitrate with anything containing chloride (that includes tap water), phosphate or carbonate ions. These all form insoluble light-sensitive silver salts and will spoil a solution of silver nitrate. Silver nitrate is ridiculously expensive  and needs to be looked after.
 
John A. Kiernan
Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology
The University of Western Ontario
London, Canada
= = =
----- Original Message -----
From: Andrea Grantham <algranth <@t> email.arizona.edu>
Date: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 12:00
Subject: [Histonet] Silver Nitrate
To: HISTONET <histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu>

> After a recent run on silver stains here I need to order 
> Silver  
> Nitrate. Can anyone tell me what the difference is (except the 
> cost)  
> between Silver Nitrate
> Certified ACS, USP, p.a., Extra Pure, and Ultra Pure? They all 
> have  
> the same chemical formula and FW of 169.87. My last batch of 
> Silver  
> Nitrate was probably ordered and received here just after 
> the  
> Mayflower landed and there is no information on the bottle any 
> longer.  
> Which one do I need for stains like GMS, Sevier Munger, etc.?
> 
> Thanx,
> 
> Andi
> 8-)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Andrea Grantham, HT (ASCP)
> Senior Research Specialist
> University of Arizona
> Cell Biology and Anatomy
> Histology Service Laboratory
> P.O.Box 245044
> Tucson, AZ 85724
> 
> algranth <@t> email.arizona.edu
> Tel: 520.626.4415     Fax: 520.626.2097
> 
> "happy slicing and dicing and may all your stains work 
> perfectly" -  
> Paula Sicurello
> P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
> 
> 
> 
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