Alkoxider

Alkoxider is not a standard term in English-language chemistry; the familiar term is alkoxide, with the plural alkoxides. In some non-English texts or historical writings, variants such as alkoxider may appear, but they refer to the same general class of species: oxygen-centered anions or ligands derived from alcohols.

Alkoxides encompass two broad categories. Organic alkoxides are alkoxide anions or salts of the form RO− with a counterion, where R is an alkyl group. Metal alkoxides are complexes of metals coordinated to alkoxide ligands, commonly written as M(OR)n, and are key precursors in materials chemistry and catalysis. In solution or as solids, alkoxides are typically reactive toward water and air, and many are moisture sensitive.

Preparation methods vary. Organic alkoxides can be prepared by deprotonating alcohols with strong bases such as sodium hydride or by metathesis of metal alkoxides with appropriate reagents. Metal alkoxides may be formed by reacting a metal salt with an alcohol or by controlled hydrolysis of metal alkyls; titanium, aluminum, and silicon alkoxides are widely used examples. Common small-molecule examples include sodium methoxide (NaOCH3) and titanium isopropoxide Ti(OiPr)4.

Applications and reactivity. Alkoxides act as bases and nucleophiles in organic synthesis, enabling reactions such as Williamson ether synthesis and transesterification. Metal alkoxides serve as versatile precursors for metal oxides in sol–gel processes, catalysis, and thin-film fabrication. They are often air- and moisture-sensitive, requiring handling under inert atmosphere and dry solvents.

Safety and handling. Alkoxides are typically caustic and can react violently with water or protic compounds. Proper protective equipment and inert- or dry-box techniques are recommended when handling reactive species.