bicarbonate - Chemical properties, Uses

HCO₃^?, IUPAC hydrogen carbonate. The anion corresponding to half-neutralized carbonic acid. Sodium bicarbonate NaHCO₃, or baking soda, is used with weak acids as a source of carbon dioxide. Aqueous solutions of soluble bicarbonates are mildly alkaline, with pH values of 8–9.

In inorganic chemistry, a bicarbonate (IUPAC-recommended nomenclature: hydrogencarbonate) is an intermediate form in the deprotonation of carbonic acid.

Chemical properties

The bicarbonate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula HCO3, the carbonate ion.

A bicarbonate salt forms when a positively charged ion attaches to the negatively charged oxygen atoms of the ion, forming an ionic compound.

Uses

The most common salt of the bicarbonate ion is sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3, which is used as baking soda.

The bicarbonate/carbonate ionic system is also a buffer in blood.

Occasionally bicarbonates are referred to as acid carbonates.