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Which of the following statements regarding acid-base extractions is not correct?

a. To extract a basic organic compound, acid is added to form water-soluble ions that will partition into the aqueous phase. b. Acid-base extractions require a significant difference in the solubility of the organic compound with its conjugate salt in the aqueous phase.
c. To extract an organic compound that can donate hydrogens, a base is added to allow the salt to partition into the aqueous phase.
d. The addition of an acid or base disrupts the organic phase, allowing the organic compound to become more soluble in water.

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User Pradeepa
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The incorrect statement about acid-base extractions is that they disrupt the organic phase; instead, acid-base extractions utilize differential solubility based on proton transfer according to the Brønsted-Lowry theory.

Step-by-step explanation:

The incorrect statement regarding acid-base extractions is that the addition of an acid or base disrupts the organic phase, allowing the organic compound to become more soluble in water. In acid-base extractions, adding a base to a solution containing an organic compound that can donate hydrogens (proton donor) results in the formation of the corresponding salt, which partitions into the aqueous phase due to its increased solubility in water, as compared to the organic phase.

Conversely, adding an acid to a solution that contains a base, or a compound that can accept hydrogens (proton acceptor), will form the corresponding conjugate acid, which usually becomes more soluble in the aqueous phase and can be separated from the organic phase. This principle is derived from the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases, which focuses on proton transfer. The process does not 'disrupt' the organic phase, rather it exploits differential solubility based on the acid/base characteristics of the compound in question and its resultant form after proton transfer.

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User Maneesh Parihar
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