Which reagents form a carboxylate salt from a carboxylic acid?

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Multiple Choice

Which reagents form a carboxylate salt from a carboxylic acid?

Forming a carboxylate salt requires removing the acidic proton from the carboxyl group. A base in aqueous solution can do this, giving the carboxylate ion (RCOO–) and water: RCO2H + OH– → RCO2– + H2O. Water alone is too weak a base to drive deprotonation of a carboxylic acid, so the carboxylic acid plus water does not form the salt. An alcohol isn’t basic enough to remove the proton, so it won’t generate the carboxylate. A strong acid like sulfuric acid would protonate species rather than produce the carboxylate salt. So the reagent combination that forms the carboxylate salt is the carboxylic acid reacting with a base in aqueous solution.

Forming a carboxylate salt requires removing the acidic proton from the carboxyl group. A base in aqueous solution can do this, giving the carboxylate ion (RCOO–) and water: RCO2H + OH– → RCO2– + H2O. Water alone is too weak a base to drive deprotonation of a carboxylic acid, so the carboxylic acid plus water does not form the salt. An alcohol isn’t basic enough to remove the proton, so it won’t generate the carboxylate. A strong acid like sulfuric acid would protonate species rather than produce the carboxylate salt. So the reagent combination that forms the carboxylate salt is the carboxylic acid reacting with a base in aqueous solution.

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