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Concept
Amphoterism
Summary
In chemistry, an amphoteric compound () is a molecule or ion that can react both as an acid and as a base. What exactly this can mean depends on which definitions of acids and bases are being used.
One type of amphoteric species are amphiprotic molecules, which can either donate or accept a proton (). This is what "amphoteric" means in Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory. For example, amino acids and proteins are amphiprotic molecules because of their amine () and carboxylic acid () groups. Self-ionizable compounds like water are also amphiprotic.
Ampholytes are amphoteric molecules that contain both acidic and basic functional groups. For example, an amino acid has both a basic group and an acidic group , and exists as several structures in chemical equilibrium:
H2N-RCH-CO2H + H2O H2N-RCH-COO- + H3O+ H3N+-RCH-COOH + OH- H3N+-RCH-COO- + H2O
In approximately neutral aqueous solution (pH ≅ 7), the basic amino group is mostly protonated and the carboxylic acid is mostly deprotonated, so that the predominant species is the zwitterion . The pH at which the average charge is zero is known as the molecule's isoelectric point. Ampholytes are used to establish a stable pH gradient for use in isoelectric focusing.
Metal oxides which react with both acids as well as bases to produce salts and water are known as amphoteric oxides. Many metals (such as zinc, tin, lead, aluminium, and beryllium) form amphoteric oxides or hydroxides. Aluminium oxide () is an example of an amphoteric oxide. Amphoterism depends on the oxidation states of the oxide. Amphoteric oxides include lead(II) oxide and zinc oxide, among many others.
Amphoteric is derived from the Greek word amphoteroi (ἀμφότεροι) meaning "both". Related words in acid-base chemistry are amphichromatic and amphichroic, both describing substances such as acid-base indicators which give one colour on reaction with an acid and another colour on reaction with a base.
According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases, acids are proton donors and bases are proton acceptors.
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