Preparation of Ionic Compounds from Acid-Base Reactions

Is the compound soluble in water?

e.g. silver bromide No Yes Is it either a group-1-metal salt or an ammonium salt?

AgBr
Prepare from a precipitation reaction. Pick 2 e.g nickel(II) sulphate No Yes
soluble salts, each containing Ag+ and Br-. NiSO4
Possible candidates are silver nitrate (AgNO3) Prepare using a reaction between acid e.g. lithium nitrate
and sodium bromide – all sodium salts and all and an excess of insoluble base. Non- LiNO3
nitrate salts are soluble. group-1 metals all have insoluble
oxides, hydroxides or carbonates. All group 1 metal bases and ammonium bases
Add the two solutions to each other. A are soluble. To ensure the exact amount of each
precipitate immediately forms: reactant is used, titration methods have to be
React excess base with the corresponding acid, employed.
AgNO3(aq) + NaBr(aq)  AgBr(s) + NaNO3(aq) e.g. NiO(s) + H2SO4(aq)  NiSO4(aq) + H2O(l)
to ensure complete consumption of the acid. Perform a titration, using burettes, pipettes,
Filter the mixture through filter paper. The Warm and stir to speed up the reaction. indicators etc, to determine the concentrations
desired compound is trapped by the paper. and/or the ratio of volumes of acid (HNO3 here)
and base (LiOH) solutions to use that will result
Filter off the unreacted metal or base. Keep
in an exact reaction.
the filtrate and discard the residue.
Wash the precipitate with distilled
water to rinse dissolved impurities off Repeat reaction using the correct volumes,
the surface of the precipitate. The Partially evaporate the water e.g. by warming the solution this time without an indicator.
wash and the filtrate can be in a crystallizing dish, until the solution becomes saturated.
discarded. Confirm that the solution is saturated by dipping a glass rod The unevaporated water is essential for
into the solution, and observe the quick formation of forming the crystal lattice structure of
Dry the solid using any of the crystals on the glass rod as the solution drop evaporates. hydrated compounds. Evaporating to
methods below: in air, or in a Allow to cool and wait for the formation of crystals. dryness can cause the crystals to collapse
warm oven, or with filter into a powder. Even for compounds that
paper. For hydrated crystals, form anhydrous crystals, the water keeps
heating may cause the waters Isolate the crystalline solid by filtration or by carefully most minor impurities dissolved. Thus,
of crystallization to be lost decanting off the rest of the solution, and rinse with a evaporating to complete dryness will lead
therefore using a warm oven tiny amount of ice-cold water in order to wash away to higher yield but somewhat lower purity
is not recommended. minor surface impurities. of your product.