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Alkanes from Reduction of Carboxylates - Kolbe's Electrolytic method

  • Page ID
    66938
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    Sodium or potassium salt of a dicarboxylic acid on electrolysis gives an alkene. An alkene is generated when an aqueous solution of sodium or potassium salt of a dibasic acid (with adjacent carboyxlic groups) is electrolyzed.

    Example: Electrolysis of Sodium Succinate

    The electrolysis of sodium succinate gives ethene.

    Oxidation at the anode

    kolbe-s-electrolytic-method-anode.gif

    Reduction at Cathode

    \[\ce{2H2O + 2e^{-} -> 2OH^{-} + H2(g)} \nonumber\]


    Alkanes from Reduction of Carboxylates - Kolbe's Electrolytic method is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Binod Shrestha.