Why is NaHCO3 used to neutralize H2SO4 and not NaOH?

Question

this is in fischer esterification.

Answer 1

NaOH is a strong base and will react with the ester to form a soap.

ie RCOOR' + NaOH = RCOONa + R'OH

This will defeat the purposes of forming an ester.

Edit:

Note the question as written is not how to form an ester but how to neutralise the excess H+ from the H2SO4 and why you use NaHCO3 rater than NaOH. The neutralisation will occur after the ester is formed to remove the acid. You DON'T use caustic soda as it will saponify the ester.

Answer 2

NaHCO3 is a base, which neutralizes H2SO4, an acid.  NaOH is also a base.  You can't neutralize a base with another base.

Acids have H+ ions, while bases have OH- ions.  They combine to form water H2O.

Answer 3

NaHCO3---> Basic in nature.

H2SO4--->Acidic in nature.

NaOH--->Basic in nature.

In chemistry, Neutralization Reaction is a chemical reaction (also called as a water forming reaction, since water molecules is formed during the process), in which an acid and a base or alkali (soluble base) react to produce salt and water (H2O). During the process, hydrogen ions H+ (a bare proton) from the acid (proton donor) or a hydronium ion H3O+ and hydroxide ions OH− or oxide ions O2− from the base (proton acceptor) react together to form a water molecule H2O. In the process, a salt is also formed when the anion from acid and the cation from base react together.

So if you speak about neutralization reaction  it's only reaction between acids and bases, and nothing else........

Answer 4

Actually, the answer to your question is this. The whole point of fischer esterification is to make an ester, which has the single bonded oxygen and a double bonded oxygen on a carbon. The sulfuric acid is just a catalyst to this reaction. Sodium Bicarbonate already has the double bonded oxygen to the carbon, where as the sodium hydroxide doesn't. When the reaction takes place, the "OH" of the sodium bicarbonate and the "H" of the alcohol form the water, and you also get your ester.