Why does Potassium Carbonate work as a base for the Williamson Ether Synthesis?
2 Answers
Potassium Carbonate can work as a base by creating potassium hydroxide by the break down of carbonate into carbon dioxide and water.
Explanation:
Carbonate is made of one carbon and three oxygens .
The carbonate can draw one hydrogen from two different water molecules. The result is one carbon dioxide molecule one water molecule and two hydroxide ions. OH-
The two K +1 ions that were a part of the Potassium Carbonate ionic molecule then combine with the two OH- ions to form two ionic KOH molecules.
The Carbon Dioxide molecule will leave the solution as a gas, the water will become part of the solvent liquid of the solution leaving the solution more basic because of the presence of two "new" basic potassium hydroxide molecules.
The carbonate reacts with the alcohol to produce an alkoxide.
Explanation:
The equation for the Williamson synthesis is
Since alkoxide ions are highly reactive, they are usually prepared immediately prior to the reaction or are generated on the spot.
In laboratory chemistry, this is most often accomplished by the using potassium carbonate.
The carbonate is basic enough to convert some of the alcohol to the alkoxide.
As the halide reacts with the alkoxide, the position of equilibrium is disturbed and, according to Le Châtelier's Principle, the equilibrium shifts to the right to restore the equilibrium.
