Question

Was the acetylacetone miscible with water? What about if NH3 is added to the solution? Why?

It was observed that acetylacetone was not miscible with water, but when NH3 was added, the acetylacetone became miscible with water. Why was this?

Answer 1

See explanation

Step-by-step explanation:

The compound is acetylacetone. This compound is immiscible with water because it is completely nonpolar.

However the introduction of ammonia, leads to the ionization of the specie. In the presence of a base(such as NH3), the molecule acetylacetone is deprotonated and its corresponding anion is formed. This anion can now interact with water and become miscible with it.