Runningbear - 13-10-2009 at 22:17
Hi guys,
Can anyone point me in the direction of a method for converting sodium meta bisulfite to sodium bisulfite? I haven't been able to find anything with
a web search.
thanks in advance,
Runningbear
Ozone - 14-10-2009 at 03:49
Why? It hydrolizes to yield 2-mole equivalents of NaHSO3. Use half-as-much.
Na2S2O5 + H2O --> 2NaHSO3
That should also hint at how the compound can be made and isolated.
Cheers,
O3
Runningbear - 14-10-2009 at 15:08
Thanks Ozone. Much appreciated.
woelen - 14-10-2009 at 23:40
The solid compound NaHSO3 does not exist. The bisulfite ion only exists in aqueous solution. When such solutions are evaporated to dryness, then you
obtain Na2S2O5 again, probably mixed with some Na2SO3, due to loss of SO2.
The metabilsulfite ion is a fairly strange ion. It contains sulphur atoms bonded directly to each other, it is not (-)O2S-O-SO2(-), but it is
(-)O2SSO3(-). The ion hence contains sulphur in oxidation states +3 and +5. The bisulfite ion HSO3(-) in aqueous solution contains sulphur in
oxidation state +4.