How can you neutralize alkoxide?

1 Answer
Truong-Son N.
Jul 7, 2016

Well, to neutral-ize an alkoxide, make it neutral. Add a proton. Normally we add acid to base to neutralize it.

But, since an alkoxide is negatively-charged, we can simply add any strong acid that releases a positive charge to attach onto the alkoxide, thereby rendering it neutral.

Any alkoxide is of the form #R-"O"^(-)#, where #R# is some alkyl group.

So to neutralize it, react it with a strong acid (#"H"_2"SO"_4# works well).

#R-"O"^(-) + "H"^(+) -> R-"OH"#

It gives you an alcohol with the corresponding #R# group.

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