The Highest PH on Earth: Meet the Superbase

Summary

This SciShow episode delves into the world of superbases, chemicals with a high affinity for hydrogen. It explains that bases, which can be as dangerous as acids, are used in soap-making and can cause severe burns. The pH scale measures a base's strength, with higher pH indicating a greater likelihood of bonding with hydrogen ions. The video highlights the discovery of ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion, the strongest superbase known, which can deprotonate water. Superbases like sodium hydride have practical applications in drying agents, hydrogen storage, and chemical reactions, showcasing their ability to both break and form molecular bonds.

Takeaways

• 🧪 Basic substances have a high affinity for hydrogen and are great at bonding with hydrogen ions.
• 🌟 'Superbases' are a class of bases that are exceptionally strong, with the ability to deprotonate water.
• 🔬 The strength of a base is commonly measured using the pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14.
• 💧 A pH of 7 indicates a neutral solution with equal numbers of hydrogen and hydroxide ions.
• 🚿 Bases like sodium hydroxide are used in soap making, as they react with oils to lift grease away.
• ⚠️ Strong bases can cause severe burns, similar to the damage caused by strong acids.
• 🔝 A higher pH value signifies a greater likelihood of bonding with hydrogen ions, resulting in more hydroxide ions.
• 🌡 The pH scale has limitations for measuring the strength of superbases, which can completely react with water.
• 🔋 The strength of superbases can be gauged by their proton affinity, which is the energy released when bonding with hydrogen.
• 🔬 Ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion, discovered by Australian researchers, is the strongest superbase known to date.
• 🔬 Superbases have practical applications in drying agents, hydrogen storage, and chemical reactions like condensation and polymerization.

Q & A

What does it mean for a substance to be chemically basic?

A chemically basic substance has a high affinity for hydrogen, meaning it readily bonds with hydrogen ions.

What is a superbase?

A superbase is a class of bases that are exceptionally strong, capable of deprotonating water and releasing a significant amount of energy upon bonding with hydrogen.

What is the significance of the compound ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion?

Ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion is the strongest superbase ever discovered, with a high proton affinity of 440 kilocalories per mole.

How do bases like sodium hydroxide contribute to the soap-making process?

Bases such as sodium hydroxide react with fatty acids in oils to produce sodium salts, which help lift grease away from the skin, forming a soap-like substance.

Why is it not recommended to wash hands with very basic substances?

Very basic substances can cause severe burns due to their strong corrosive nature, similar to strong acids.

How is the strength of a base measured?

The strength of a base is commonly measured using the pH scale, which ranges from 0 to 14, indicating the likelihood of a substance to bond with hydrogen ions when mixed with water.

What happens when a substance has a pH of 7 on the pH scale?

A pH of 7 indicates a neutral solution where the number of hydrogen ions equals the number of hydroxide ions, resulting in a balanced state.

What is deprotonation and how does it relate to superbases?

Deprotonation is a process where a substance, typically a superbase, reacts with water to remove hydrogen ions from water molecules. Superbases are capable of this reaction, indicating their strength beyond the traditional pH scale.

How is the strength of a superbase measured when the pH scale is insufficient?

When a base is strong enough to deprotonate water, its strength is measured by its proton affinity, which is the amount of energy released as it bonds with hydrogen.

What are some practical uses for superbases?

Superbases like sodium hydride are used as drying agents in labs, proposed for hydrogen storage, and utilized in condensation and polymerization reactions to link smaller molecules into larger ones.

How does the proton affinity of ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion compare to sodium hydroxide?

Ortho-diethynylbenzene dianion has a significantly higher proton affinity of 440 kilocalories per mole compared to sodium hydroxide, which releases about 250 kilocalories per mole.