Acetate - Salts

Salts

The acetate anion, −,(or −) is one of the carboxylate family. It is the conjugate base of acetic acid. Above a pH of 5.5, acetic acid converts to acetate:

CH₃COOH ⇌ CH₃COO− + H+

Many acetate salts are ionic, indicated by their tendency to dissolve well in water. A commonly encountered acetate in the home is sodium acetate, a white solid that can be prepared by combining vinegar and sodium bicarbonate ("bicarb"):

CH₃COOH + NaHCO₃ → CH₃COO−Na+ + H₂O + CO₂

Transition metals can be complexed by acetate. Acetate is considered a relatively weak ligand in coordination chemistry because it can only form monodentate complexes. Examples of acetate complexes include chromium(II) acetate and basic zinc acetate.

Commercially important acetate salts are aluminium acetate, used in dyeing, ammonium acetate, a precursor to acetamide, and potassium acetate, used as a diuretic. All three salts are colourless and highly soluble in water.