Quizzes & Puzzles0 min ago
Chemistry
Why sodium hydroxide instead of hydrochloric acid is used to hydrolyze aspirin?
Answers
Only 1 answer
Best Answer
No best answer has yet been selected by wcw05185. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.
It's a ready source of OH- ions which cause hydrolysis of the molecule. Hydrolysis effectively means the molecule is split into two parts - and if I remember correctly, aspirin is basically an ester (?), creating a hydroxyl group and a carboxylic acid (salycylic acid).
Acids, being a source of H+ ions (and depending on whether weak or strong, organic or mineral) can have a hydrogenating effect, cause an elimination reaction, or a 'dehydrating' effect by strongly removing OH- ions from the molecule.
Only 1 answer
