Sodium diacetate is a
compound with formula . It is a
salt
In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...
of
acetic acid
Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main compone ...
. It is a colorless solid that is used in seasonings and as an
antimicrobial agent.
Preparation and structure
The salt forms upon half-
neutralization of acetic acid followed by evaporation of the solution. It can be viewed as the result of
homoassociation, an effect that enhances the acidity of
acetic acid
Acetic acid , systematically named ethanoic acid , is an acidic, colourless liquid and organic compound with the chemical formula (also written as , , or ). Vinegar is at least 4% acetic acid by volume, making acetic acid the main compone ...
in concentrated solution:
: 2 CH
3CO
2H + NaOH → Na
+ CH3CO2)2Hsup>− + H
2O
Also described as the
sodium
Sodium is a chemical element; it has Symbol (chemistry), symbol Na (from Neo-Latin ) and atomic number 11. It is a soft, silvery-white, highly reactive metal. Sodium is an alkali metal, being in group 1 element, group 1 of the peri ...
acid salt of acetic acid, it is best described as the sodium salt of the
hydrogen-bond
In chemistry, a hydrogen bond (H-bond) is a specific type of molecular interaction that exhibits partial covalent character and cannot be described as a purely electrostatic force. It occurs when a hydrogen (H) atom, covalently bonded to a mo ...
ed anion (CH
3CO
2)
2H
−. The O···O distance is about 2.47
angstrom
The angstrom (; ) is a unit of length equal to m; that is, one ten-billionth of a metre, a hundred-millionth of a centimetre, 0.1 nanometre, or 100 picometres. The unit is named after the Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814–18 ...
. The species has no significant existence in solution but forms stable
crystal
A crystal or crystalline solid is a solid material whose constituents (such as atoms, molecules, or ions) are arranged in a highly ordered microscopic structure, forming a crystal lattice that extends in all directions. In addition, macros ...
s.
Applications
As a food additive,
[Peter J. Taormina "Implications of Salt and Sodium Reduction on Microbial Food Safety" in Critical
Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 2010, vol. 50, 209-227. ] it has
E number
E numbers, short for Europe numbers, are codes for substances used as food additives, including those found naturally in many foods, such as vitamin C, for use within the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Association (EFTA). Commonly ...
E262 and is used to impart a salt and vinegar flavor.
See also
*
Sodium acetate
Sodium acetate, CH3COONa, also abbreviated Sodium, NaOxygen, OAcetyl, Ac, is the sodium Salt (chemistry), salt of acetic acid. This salt is colorless, deliquescent, and hygroscopy, hygroscopic.
Applications
Biotechnological
Sodium acetate is u ...
References
{{Acetates
Acetates
Organic sodium salts
Acid salts
Food additives