Question

A Bronsted Lowry Acid is defined as an acid that donates a proton. However it's actually a Hydrogen Ion, since hydrogen only has 1 proton and 1 electron, a positive Hydrogen Ion would have no electron and therefor only be a proton which is why we call it that. However Isotopes exist: deuterium has 1 neutron and tritium has 2, my question is: Can an (Bronsted Lowry) acid donate a hydrogen Isotope? Is the naming just out of convenience or very specific? Surely an acid can donate a deuterium ion, or perhaps there's a reason these isotypes are different?

Answer 1

According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory, an acid is any molecule or ion that donates a hydrogen ion in a reaction. The naming is not just a matter of convenience, and an acid can donate a deuterium or tritium ion.

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases, an acid is defined as a molecule or ion that donates a hydrogen ion (H+) in a reaction, while a base is defined as a molecule or ion that accepts a hydrogen ion in a reaction.

The naming of an acid as a proton donor is based on the fact that it donates a hydrogen ion, or proton, during a reaction. This definition applies regardless of the isotope of hydrogen involved in the reaction.

Although isotopes of hydrogen, such as deuterium (D) and tritium (T), have different numbers of neutrons, they still contain a proton and function the same way in Brønsted-Lowry acid-base reactions. So, an acid can indeed donate a deuterium ion (D+) or a tritium ion (T+), and the naming is not just a matter of convenience.