Natriumetoksidi

Natriumetoksidi, also known as sodium ethoxide, is an organic compound with the chemical formula CH3CH2ONa. It is the sodium salt of ethanol. In its pure form, natriumetoksidi is a white solid, but it is often encountered as a solution in ethanol. It is a strong base and a nucleophile, making it a useful reagent in organic synthesis.

Natriumetoksidi is highly reactive and reacts readily with water to form ethanol and sodium hydroxide. This hydrolysis is exothermic and can be vigorous. Due to its hygroscopic nature and reactivity with moisture and carbon dioxide from the air, it is typically stored under an inert atmosphere, such as nitrogen or argon, and handled with care.

In organic chemistry, natriumetoksidi is commonly employed in various reactions. It is frequently used as a base to deprotonate alcohols, carboxylic acids, and other weakly acidic compounds. This deprotonation can initiate subsequent reactions, such as alkylations and condensations. It is a key reagent in the Williamson ether synthesis and in Claisen condensation reactions. It can also be used as a catalyst in certain polymerization processes. Its strong basicity and nucleophilicity contribute to its broad utility in synthetic organic chemistry.