21
votes
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Why can NCl3 be hydrolyzed but CCl4 cannot?
There are a few (mis-) conceptions in the question that require addressing other than giving the simple (yet correct) answer that permeakra gave.
$\ce{NCl3}$
The hydrolysis of this compound is ...
- 66.9k
20
votes
Accepted
How long would it take for sucrose to undergo hydrolysis in boiling water?
This is a nice well-defined question, and luckily there is excellent data for which we can provide a quantitative answer.
Richard Wolfenden's research group has sought for many years to characterize ...
- 21.7k
18
votes
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Mechanism for basic hydrolysis of α-chloronitrile to ketone?
Your analysis is slightly incorrect, actually. If you do a $\mathrm{S_N2}$ on the chloride, hydrolyse the nitrile, and decarboxylate, you end up with the wrong oxidation state:
Instead, if you ...
- 70.8k
16
votes
Why is ATP, but not ADP or AMP, a sole source of energy?
Let me add to iad22agp's excellent answer.
Often times in introductory biochemistry classes, the difference between phosphoanhydride and phosphate ester bonds is not adequately explained.
ATP (and ...
- 21.7k
11
votes
Accepted
Unusual hydrolysis of methyl 2,4,6‐trimethylbenzoate
In the typical reaction of hydroxide ion with a methyl ester, the hydroxide attacks the carbonyl carbon of the ester, resulting ultimately in elimination of methoxide. Given the basic conditions, the ...
- 10.1k
10
votes
Is magnesium sulfate basic, neutral or acidic?
Looking at the following references, it seems that most agree that a water solution of $\ce{MgSO4}$ is slightly acidic.
"The pH of an aqueous magnesium sulfate solution is related to the molarity of ...
- 29.6k
9
votes
Why does dissolving a salt in water get a high pH?
It's a little more complicated than that.. When you dissolved $\ce{Na2CO3}$ in water you had a solution of ions: $\ce{Na+}$, $\ce{CO3^2-}$, $\ce{H3O+}$ and $\ce{OH-}$ (the later are present in water ...
- 747
9
votes
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n-Factor of P4O6
As M. Farooq pointed in the comments, the concept of $n$-factor is applied to the reactions a given compound participates in, namely of the following types:
acid-base, neutralization (in a context of ...
- 37.3k
8
votes
Why is ATP, but not ADP or AMP, a sole source of energy?
Think of ADP and ATP as substituted phosphoric anhydrides. ATP has a strong tendency to hydrolyze due to the electrophilic nature of the central phosphorus atom which bears two electron-deficient ...
- 9,176
8
votes
Aspirin Hydrolysis at pH 2
To understand the pH rate profile of the Aspirin hydrolysis, we have to look at all the possible mechanisms through which the hydrolysis may take place.
A good rule of thumb for interpreting a pH rate ...
- 5,607
7
votes
Is magnesium sulfate basic, neutral or acidic?
Aqueous solution of magnesium sulfate is going to be slightly acidic, and there is no need to even go to the lab to test it. $\ce{MgSO4}$ is a salt formed by a weak base and a strong acid (both ...
- 37.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Is (high) pressure required to form (quartz) crystals?
Pressure does not affect the crystal structure (unless it gets insanely great, so that stishovite formation kicks in; that's not going to happen in an autoclave, though). Pressure, however, does ...
- 30.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Which side of the C-O-C bond breaks in esters during hydrolysis in basic medium?
To answer this,Think about how an ester is formed.
In the formation of an ester, wherin you react an alcohol with an acid in presence of conc.$\ce{H2SO4}$
$\ce{RCOOH + R'OH -> RCOOR' + H2O}$
Now ...
- 1,339
7
votes
On the stabler tautomer in amide-imidic acid tautomerism
The relative stability of the two tautomers (two isomers differing how protons are bound) may be assessed from the equilibrium constant you may formulate for the two. Deriving from above illustration,...
- 27.7k
6
votes
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Comparing the Lewis acidity of carbon tetrafluoride and silicon tetrafluoride
Both molecules can theoretically act as a Lewis acid. This would involve the approach of a Lewis base (i.e. a lone pair-carrying group), its interaction with the central atom and the formation of a ...
- 66.9k
6
votes
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Hydrolysing a compound by repeated methyl and hydride shifts
The reaction will stop after first methyl rearrangement as it leads to tertiary allylic carbocation which is highly stable, so there will be no further rearrangement, as it does not lead to more ...
- 190
6
votes
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Reasons for solid or liquid soap
I don't know if anyone is still looking for the answer but here I go anyway because I spent 40 minutes researching this for an assignment
TL;DR - The better solubility of potassium salts is the key ...
- 76
6
votes
Accepted
Are all hydrolysis reactions non-redox reactions?
Hydrolysis refers to any compound reacting with water, including cases where the water acts as an oxidizing or reducing agent. Magnesium silicide, for instance, reduces water leaving both hydrogen ...
- 51.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Why is it advised to use neutral ferric chloride solution while performing confirmatory test for acetate ions?
Theory guides and experiment decides (I. M. Kolthoff). Sometimes thermodynamics predicts a reaction but it does not occur very fast because its kinetics is slow. If you dissolve iron (III) chloride in ...
- 38.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Why does sodium react with water to produce a hydroxide, while zinc produces an oxide?
The overall potential of an electrochemical cell is equal to the reduction potential for the substance being reduced plus the oxidation potential for the substance being oxidized. In other words, $ΔE_{...
- 2,338
5
votes
Why is HCl used in hydrolysis of sucrose?
The mechanism really isn't much more complicated than what you describe.
The $\ce{H+}$ binds to the acetal linkage. Water then binds to the fructose ring, breaking its bond with the acetal linking $\...
- 11.6k
5
votes
Why can NCl3 be hydrolyzed but CCl4 cannot?
$\ce{CCl4}$ can be hydrolysed under pressure at elevated temperature. Seems the reaction proceeds via $S_N1$ mechanism. See the source.
- 21.3k
5
votes
Rates of hydrolysis in bicyclic and monocyclic compounds
I’m going to shamelessly steal electronpusher’s drawing for clarification:
Two general hydrolysis mechanisms are possible: $\mathrm{S_N2}$ and $\mathrm{S_N1}$. First, let us consider $\mathrm{S_N2}$ ...
- 66.9k
5
votes
How to remove sulfuric acid from sample
Sulfuric acid is an excellent dessicant and is also very non-volatile itself (it boils at 337 °C). In other words it would likely still have been there in yet another month.
Your instructor ...
- 17.3k
5
votes
Mechanism for hydrolysis of enol ether to aldehyde
Your issue is hardly with the Wittig reaction, although one could very well nitpick. The addition of phosphonium ylid to carbonyl is generally thought to be concerted: see Which is the currently ...
- 70.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Why are polysaccharides not sweet in taste?
Well, while indeed polysacharides are metabolised to simpler units, even in mouth (saliva in the mouth can account for 30% of initial starch digestion), it usually doesn't happen fast enough, so full ...
- 96
5
votes
Accepted
Why does hydrolysis of OF2 give a neutral solution?
Hydrolysis doesn't give a neutral solution, but the hydrolysis reaction is slow
Don't confuse dissolving something in water with hydrolysis. Some chemicals hydrolyse rapidly in water but not OF2. ...
- 35.1k
5
votes
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Hydrolysis under basic medium
Going by the mechanism of hydrolysis under basic medium, the lone pair of hydroxide ion will attack on C=O carbon.
Due to the negative mesomeric (-M/-R) effect and negative inductive effect of the ...
- 375
5
votes
Accepted
Rate of hydrolysis of silicon tetrahalides
We can justify the rate of hydrolysis of Silicon tetrahalides if we just think on the statement carefully. The statement claims that the rate of hydrolysis is in the order $\ce{SiF4 > SiCl4 > ...
- 5,583
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