Kolbe's electrolysis of aqueous Sodium Acetate () yields Ethane gas at the anode. In a strictly balanced electrochemical equation for this specific anodic half-reaction, how many moles of Carbon dioxi

Question

Kolbe's electrolysis of aqueous Sodium Acetate ($CH_3COONa$) yields Ethane gas at the anode. In a strictly balanced electrochemical equation for this specific anodic half-reaction, how many moles of Carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) gas are co-evolved at the anode for every 1 mole of Ethane ($C_2H_6$) successfully formed?

Prashant Kotian · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: 2. The precise anodic oxidation half-reaction for Kolbe's electrolysis of sodium acetate is: . Two acetate ions must be oxidized and decarboxylated to provide the two methyl radicals needed to form a single mole of ethane. Thus, exactly 2 moles of are co-evolved.

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