1. Dissociation of Sodium Hydroxide:
When sodium hydroxide is dissolved in water, it dissociates into sodium ions (Na+) and hydroxide ions (OH-). The hydroxide ions are responsible for the basic nature of the solution.
2. Deprotonation of Glucose:
Glucose, a monosaccharide sugar, contains multiple hydroxyl (-OH) groups. In the presence of a strong base like sodium hydroxide, the hydroxide ions abstract a proton (H+) from one of the hydroxyl groups of glucose. This deprotonation results in the formation of a negatively charged glucose molecule, known as a glucose anion (C6H11O6-).
3. Formation of Sodium Gluconate:
The negatively charged glucose anion immediately reacts with the sodium ions present in the solution to form sodium gluconate (C6H11O7Na). Sodium gluconate is a salt consisting of the glucose anion and sodium cation.
The overall reaction can be represented as follows:
C6H12O6 (glucose) + NaOH (sodium hydroxide) → C6H11O7Na (sodium gluconate) + H2O (water)
This reaction demonstrates the basic properties of sodium hydroxide, which can deprotonate weak acids such as the hydroxyl groups of glucose, leading to the formation of a salt (sodium gluconate) and water.