We would like to use sodium ethoxide solution for etching EPON and LR-white EM sections. Today I started making the saturated sodium ethoxide solution. I put 13 g NaOH in 60 ml 96% EtOH. Actually I have no idea of the saturating concentration of NaOH in ethanol.
After a few hours mixing the solution is turbid white. Is this normal?
Sodium ethoxide cannot be prepared in this way. You should to use anhydrous ethanol (azeotropic distillation with benzene will be sufficient) and weighed amount of pure sodium (metallic!). The reaction leads to sodium ethoxide and hydrogen. In the presence of water ethoxide turns into ethanol and NaOH, so you have to protect an apparatus against moisture using tube with CaCl2, for example.
Good luck!
Colourless and transparent, unless water is not eliminated and hydrolysis of sodium ethoxide to ethanol and sodium hydroxide occurs. In contact with air NaOH can further form even less soluble sodium carbonate.
Be careful as hydrogen is formed in reaction of ethanol with sodium.
My solution to get good sodium ethoxide is to order it commercially... Cheaper and more save than to make it self.
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