Sodium methoxide

• Sodium
• Sodium methoxide

Colorless to yellow, odorless powder

Fixed

1.3 g · cm -3

280 ° C ( under exclusion of oxygen, decomposition)

Decomposition in water but readily soluble in anhydrous methanol

Risk

2037 mg · kg -1 ( LD50, rat, oral)

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Sodium is the alkoxide of methanol with the counterion is sodium and the most important of the methanolates.

Representation

The preparation of the compound via the reaction of methanol with elemental sodium or sodium hydride. As a byproduct of molecular hydrogen.

Properties

Sodium is a highly hygroscopic white solid. This is very reactive and is usually handled and stored for this reason only in solution. At temperatures above 50 ° C is in air, the risk of spontaneous combustion.

It is a very strong base which reacts violently with water and acids.

Use

Sodium methoxide is used as the base, for example, for the deprotonation of C, H -acidic compounds. Alternatively, lithium methoxide can be used.