Why was the methylene chloride layer washed with sodium bicarbonate in the procedure for preparing camphor?
is it to remove acid which was added in the starting process.
You don't list the procedure used but your answer probably is correct since NaHCO3 will neutralize any acid remaining after the reaction.
the procedure was extraction of Camphor from experiment "An oxidation-reduction scheme Borneol,camphor and Isoborneol.
I looked up the oxidation of isoborneol on the Internet and that procedure used glacial acetic acid. The extracted layer was washed with NaHCO3 to remove the excess acetic acid.
NaHCO3 solutions are used to remove acid and base soluble compounds from organic layers. Not know thr specifics of the lab, its hard to say for certain, but my guess would be that it was to remove traces of acid used in the prep.
Yes, you are correct! The washing of the methylene chloride layer with sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) in the procedure for preparing camphor is indeed done to remove any remaining acid from the starting process.
To understand why this step is necessary, let's break it down step by step:
1. In the process of preparing camphor, a reaction takes place between camphorquinone and hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in the presence of an acid catalyst. This reaction generates camphor and other byproducts.
2. Since acid is used as a catalyst in the reaction, it is important to remove any excess or residual acid from the reaction mixture. Acidic impurities can affect the purity and quality of the final product.
3. When the reaction is complete, the mixture is usually divided into two layers: an organic layer (containing the product, camphor) and an aqueous layer (containing byproducts and residual acid).
4. The methylene chloride layer, which contains the desired product, is separated from the aqueous layer. However, it may still contain traces of acid.
5. To remove the acid, the methylene chloride layer is washed with a basic solution of sodium bicarbonate, commonly called baking soda (NaHCO3). Sodium bicarbonate acts as a weak base and can neutralize the acid.
6. During the washing process, the sodium bicarbonate reacts with any remaining acid in the organic layer to form water, carbon dioxide, and a salt. These reaction products are water-soluble and can be easily separated from the organic layer.
7. After the washing process, the methylene chloride layer is free of acid impurities and can be further processed to isolate and purify the camphor.
In summary, the washing of the methylene chloride layer with sodium bicarbonate is done to remove the acid that was added during the starting process, ensuring the purity of the final product, camphor.