- #1
fluppocinonys
- 19
- 1
Hi, alcohol is able to react with Na (s), but not NaOH (aq)
Why is it so?
In aqueous NaOH, there are mobile Na+ and OH-, so shouldn't alcohol be able to react with Na+ to form salt too?
Many thanks!
Alcohol, which is a hydrocarbon compound, does not have any acidic or basic functional groups. This means that it does not contain any hydrogen or oxygen atoms that can be ionized and react with the hydroxide ions in aqueous NaOH.
No, only alcohols with acidic functional groups such as carboxylic acids or phenols can react with aqueous NaOH. These alcohols have a hydrogen atom that can be ionized and react with the hydroxide ions in NaOH.
Aqueous NaOH is a strong base, meaning it has a high concentration of hydroxide ions. When mixed with an alcohol containing acidic functional groups, it will react and produce a salt and water. This reaction can be used to test for the presence of acidic functional groups in alcohols.
In the reaction between alcohol and aqueous NaOH, the alcohol acts as the acid and donates a proton to the hydroxide ion in NaOH. This forms a salt and water. In the reaction between acid and aqueous NaOH, the acid donates a proton to the hydroxide ion, forming a salt and water.
Yes, other strong bases such as KOH or Ca(OH)2 can also react with alcohols containing acidic functional groups. However, the products of the reaction may differ depending on the base used.