sodium hydrogen carbonate + alcohol --> ????

when i added a saturated solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate to ethanol, a white ppt instantly formed.... any ideas what it is?

Mike

Reply 1

manderlay in flames

Sodium ethoxide would be my guess

Reply 2

e-lover

only nihilism

Sodium ethoxide would be my guess

I agree.

Reply 3

charco

Study Forum Helper

I would suggest that it's simply sodium hydrogen carbonate precipitating.

Reply 4

vVPiKaVv

charco, I thought it was sodium hydrogen carbonate too since alcohols are not acidic enough to react with sodium hydrogen carbonate..but what's the reason for it precipitating?

Since it was originally a saturated solution, the ionic product is equal to the solubility product. Just a tiny increase in the concentration of sodium hydrogen carbonate will then result in the precipitate forming, but I can't seem to fathom why there would be an increase in the ionic product. Or perhaps, there is a change in temperature which affects the value of the solubility product?

Reply 5

charco

Study Forum Helper

my feelings are that as ethanol is totally miscible with water the resultant solution has lower polarity and cannot solvate the ions as efficiently...