Oxygen gas produced by a Solid element + sodium hydroxide solution?

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SUMMARY

The discussion clarifies that no solid elements at room temperature can react with aqueous sodium hydroxide to produce oxygen gas. While peroxides and superoxides can generate oxygen when reacting with water, they do not specifically require an alkaline solution. The only oxidant capable of producing oxygen from water is fluorine, which is gaseous at standard temperature and pressure (STP). Iodine, the strongest solid oxidizing element, does not yield free oxygen in alkaline solutions but instead forms iodides and iodates.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of chemical reactions involving oxidation and reduction
  • Familiarity with the properties of peroxides and superoxides
  • Knowledge of standard temperature and pressure (STP) conditions
  • Basic concepts of aqueous solutions and their interactions
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties and reactions of peroxides and superoxides
  • Study the behavior of fluorine as an oxidant in chemical reactions
  • Explore the decomposition reactions of water under various conditions
  • Investigate the formation of iodides and iodates from iodine in alkaline solutions
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Chemists, chemical engineers, and students studying inorganic chemistry or reaction mechanisms will benefit from this discussion.

BenDover
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TL;DR
Solid element + sodium hydroxide solution = oxygen gas
Hello. I am wondering; which solid at room temperature elements produce oxygen gas when put into a solution of sodium hydroxide?

Thanks
 
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BenDover said:
Summary:: Solid element + sodium hydroxide solution = oxygen gas

Hello. I am wondering; which solid at room temperature elements produce oxygen gas when put into a solution of sodium hydroxide?

Thanks
In general, oxidation relases energy (e.g. burning produces heat), and reduction requires energy (e.g. electrolysis of water produces hydrogen and oxygen).
 
In general peroxides and superoxides often react with water producing oxygen. Not that they specifically require alkaline solution (they do produce hydroxides while reacting though).
 
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There are no solid elements that will react with aqueous sodium hydroxide to produce oxygen.
 
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@chemisttree, doesn't potassium perchlorate plus water produce potassium hydroxide plus oxygen?
 
Potassium perchlorate is not an element. It is a compound.
 
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Oops, I didn't read carefully enough ##-## I'd have thought that fact would go without saying. :wink:
 
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In general, what you need to produce oxygen from water is oxidants.
There is one free element oxidant consistently strong enough to react with water to produce oxygen, but it is gaseous at STP: fluorine. Chlorine is close, but also gaseous.
Strongest oxidizing element which is solid at STP is iodine, but it does not produce free oxygen in alkali solutions: it produces iodides and iodates.
 
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snorkack said:
In general, what you need to produce oxygen from water is oxidants.
The way I read it question is not about "producing oxygen from water" but about "producing oxygen in a reaction with water". If so, anything that decomposes in the presence of water producing oxygen fits.
 
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Borek said:
The way I read it question is not about "producing oxygen from water" but about "producing oxygen in a reaction with water". If so, anything that decomposes in the presence of water producing oxygen fits.
Yes, but the only element that can decompose to oxygen is, well, oxygen.
It does have a second reasonably metastable allotropic form (ozone), but this is also a gas at STP.
 
  • #11
snorkack said:
Yes, but the only element that can decompose to oxygen is, well, oxygen.
It does have a second reasonably metastable allotropic form (ozone), but this is also a gas at STP.
Water (with or without .1 M lye dissolved in it) can decompose into hydrogen and oxygen, but, as @chemisttree stated, oxygen is not released by introduction of a solid element to aqueous sodium hydroxide.
 
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  • #12
There are no solid elements that will react with aqueous sodium hydroxide to produce oxygen.
 
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