Hydrolysis vs. Hydration

Main Difference

The main difference between Hydrolysis and Hydration is that Hydrolysis involves the splitting of water molecules, whereas Hydration generally does not always involve the splitting of water molecules.

Difference Between Hydrolysis and Hydration

Comparison Chart

Hydrolysis vs. Hydration

Hydrolysis considers as the double breakdown reaction process with water usually as one of the reactants, while hydration considers as the chemical method which involves water molecules that combine with a substance. Hydrolysis usually happens with a breakdown of bond in water molecules, whereas in organic molecules, hydration generally happens with the bond breakdown, but sometimes no breakdown in bonds occurs in inorganic compounds.

Hydrolysis produces the saturated compounds usually from unsaturated compounds; on the other hand, hydrated compounds produce by hydration from dehydrated compounds. In hydrolysis, the reaction of anion, cation, or sometimes both occur with water to alter the pH of water; on the contrary, in hydration, the surrounding of the solute molecules by solvent molecules occurs. Hydrolysis considers as the chemical process because it involves the breakdown of bonds and molecules; on the flip side, hydration considers as the physical process because it does not involve any chemical breakdown of molecules or bonds.

The pH of hydrolysis either increases or decreases during the process of chemical reaction in which anions or cations relatively alter the ph of water; on the other hand, the pH of hydration remains constant in the reaction process. The example of hydrolysis is given as Na₂CO₃ + 2H₂O → 2NaOH + H₂CO_3, while the example of hydration is given as K⁺Cl^– + H₂O → K⁺ (aq) + Cl^– (aq).

What is Hydrolysis?

Hydrolysis is the term that generally involves the double breakdown reaction process with water usually as one of the reactants. Hydrolysis is the reactions that are frequently reversible process.

According to the Bronsted-Lowry acid-base theory in which water can act as a base or an acid. This theory is stated as: “the acid usually produces its conjugate base, and the base normally produces its conjugate acid through the exchange of proton when an acid and a base react with each other.”

If a water molecule performs as a Bronsted-Lowry acid, then it means the molecules of water donates a proton. If a water molecule performs as a Bronsted-Lowry base, then it usually means the molecule of water accepts a proton by normally producing the hydronium ion (H₃O⁺). The ions of H₂O, H⁺ ions and OH- ions react with anions and cations to form the base and acid of a salt respectively to give the original base, and the original acid is generally known as hydrolysis.

Hydrolysis considers the chemical process because it involves the breakdown of bonds and molecules. The pH of hydrolysis either increases or decreases during the process of chemical reaction in which anions or cations relatively alter the ph of water. The main hydrolysis types, which are acid hydrolysis, base hydrolysis, and sat hydrolysis.

The example of hydrolysis is given as Na₂CO₃ + 2H₂O → 2NaOH + H₂CO_3, which describes that when sodium carbonate reacts with water molecules, then it usually forms the sodium hydroxide (base) and a carbonic acid with the breakdown of water molecules.

Types of Hydrolysis

• Acid Hydrolysis: The resemblance with an acid dissociation reaction is generally known as acid hydrolysis.
• Base Hydrolysis: The resemblance with a base dissociation reaction is usually known as base hydrolysis. In this hydrolysis, the water usually donates a proton by forming a hydroxide ion (OH^–). Hence, it means that water generally performs as Bronsted-Lowry acid.
• Salt Hydrolysis: The salt usually separates into its ions when salt is mix in water. When a weak acid’s or a weak base’s salt is usually mixed in water, then water ionizes this salt mixing and then produces hydronium cations and hydroxide anions. The dissolved salt can also separate into its anions or cations, which is generally called as salt hydrolysis.

What is Hydration?

The term hydration defines as the chemical method, which involves molecules of water that combine or link with a substance. More, the addition of H₂O molecules to ions or substances to produce hydrated salts or hydrated ions is known as hydration. Hydration considers as the physical process because it does not involve any chemical breakdown of molecules or bonds and usually forms from the desiccants (a compound that can easily absorb water).

The pH of hydration remains constant in the reaction process. Organic molecule’s hydration generally happens with a bond breakdown, but sometimes no breakdown in bonds occurs in inorganic compounds because it is the connotation of water molecules with compounds. In Organic chemistry, the molecules of water are entering to the point where an unsaturation is available. At this point, the water molecules break down into a hydroxide ion and a proton.

The hydroxide ion usually produces the bond with a carbon atom, which possesses more substituents. The proton generally combined with carbon that has less number of substituents which usually monitors the Markovnikov’s rule.

Hydration in inorganic chemistry generally denotes the connectivity of molecules of water with an inorganic compound. For instance, in the process of sulfate, which generally produces the TiO₂ pigments usually from Ilmenite sand (FeTiO₃), and the byproduct which is formed is FeSO₄.

When a salt mixed into the water, it generally forms the anion and cations, which then separated from each other by the hydration of ions through water molecules. In this process, the molecules of water usually surround the ions of salt, which is known as hydration. The example of hydration is given as K⁺Cl^– + H₂O → K⁺ (aq) + Cl^– (aq).

Conclusion

The above discussion concludes that hydrolysis involves the splitting of water molecules, and the pH of hydrolysis either increases or decreases during the process of chemical reaction in which anions or cations relatively alter the ph of water. Whereas hydration generally does not always involve the splitting of water molecules and the pH of hydration remains constant in the reaction process.