Question

saponification of coconut oil with NaOH

1. What is the nucleophile in this reaction?

hydroxide???

2. Why doesn’t sodium acetate act as soap?

Sodium acetate cannot be used as soap because there is no non-polar hydrocarbon side component long enough to bind nonpolar dirt fats or oils. Without this organic component it cannot be used as soap.???

3. Detergents contain compounds that have a sulfonate group instead of a carboxylate. Why do detergents work better than soaps at all pH ranges?

4. Why wouldn’t you want to put ‘banana oil’ (isopentyl acetate) into this reaction before the solution begins to thicken?

-Banana oil is for scent and I have to wait to add it till it begins to thicken or else it will decompose.

R1 CO2 RE ONO но NaOH R2CO2 HO R NO HO R3CO2 RENO Figure 1: General Saponification Reaction

Answer 1

Part 1. Yes, the nucleophile in the saponification reaction is hydroxide (OH^- = NaOH).

Part 2. Yes, sodium acetate can't be used as soap because it doesn't contain a nonpolar tail.

Part 3. Because the sulfonic acid moiety (SO₃H) is more polar (polar head) than the carboxylic acid moiety (CO₂H).

Part 4. Yes, you are correct!