Question

What is the class of $C{{H}_{3}}C{{H}_{2}}{{O}^{-\,}}N{{a}^{+}}$?

Answer 1

Hint: Before answering this question, we should know $C{{H}_{3}}C{{H}_{2}}{{O}^{-\,}}N{{a}^{+}}$ is known as sodium ethoxide, It is an alkoxide which is a sodium salt of ethanol. The action of sodium metal with ethanol helps in the formation of it. It is also called sodium ethylate. It is white but its impure substance seems yellow. It is dissolvable in polar solvents like ethanol. It comes under the category of a strong base.

Complete answer:
 Preparation of sodium ethoxide-
Some procedures were also done earlier to form this anhydrous solid but it can be prepared in a solution with ethanol. The treatment of sodium metal with ethanol helps to prepare it in the laboratories. It is commercially available.
$Na(s)+C{{H}_{3}}C{{H}_{2}}OH\to C{{H}_{3}}C{{H}_{2}}{{O}^{-}}N{{a}^{+}}+12{{H}_{2}}(g)\uparrow $
There is another way as well in which NaOH is treated with anhydrous ethanol. It is a cheaper way because the reaction here faces incomplete conversion to the alkoxide. For some applications, full conversion is not important.
Structure of sodium ethoxide -
X-ray crystallography is used to determine the crystal structure of sodium ethoxide. The layers$N{{a}^{+}}$ and ${{O}^{-}}$ centers are arranged alternatively with ethyl groups covering the top and bottom of each layer that are not arranged in any order.
Reactions of sodium ethoxide -
It is a base that is used in Claisen condensation and malonic ester synthesis. The formation of an enolate occurs when the alpha position of an ester molecule is deprotonated by sodium ethoxide. Transesterification is a nucleophilic substitution that an ester molecule goes through. The initiating material should not be ethyl ester in trans-esterification because the product will also be ethyl ester so it will become irrelevant.

Note:
Stability of sodium ethoxide- If samples are stored for a long time, it results in the degradation of them because sodium ethoxide is prone to react with both air and water. The samples could turn black over some time.