Organic Reaction

Sodium hydroxide also acts as a catalyst in many organic reactions of caustic soda.

Examples of ring opening of alkali-catalyzed epoxy

Examples of ring opening of alkali-catalyzed epoxy

Among them, the most representative one is saponification reaction.

RCOOR + NaOH = RCOONa + ROH [7]

It can also catalyze many other reactions, such as epoxy ring opening, haloform reaction, etc.

I2+NaOH+R(CH3)C=O_R-COONa+CHI3(formation of iodoform)

Sodium hydroxide can react with halogenated hydrocarbons and other nucleophilic substitutions, such as:

CH3CH2Cl+NaOH_CH3CH2OH+NaCl may also eliminate halogenated hydrocarbons:

CH3CH2Cl+NaOH_CH2=CH2+NaCl+H2O

Sodium hydroxide can decarboxylate carboxylic acids under intense heat, for example:

R-COONa+NaOH_RH+Na2CO3 [8]

Color reaction

It can react with indicators:

Sodium hydroxide solution drops into phenolphthalein test solution and turns red

Sodium hydroxide solution drops into phenolphthalein test solution and turns red

Sodium hydroxide solution is alkaline, which makes litmus test solution blue and phenolphthalein test solution red.