Sodium tungstate
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Sodium tungstate, Na2WO4, a tungstate of sodium, is useful as a source of tungsten. It is prepared from tungsten ores used to manufacture tungsten by reducing it.
It is often found as the dihydrate, Na2WO4•2H2O. This salt is soluble in water and is a moderately strong oxidizing agent, but finds no common use in the chemistry laboratory. Like the molybdate, the deep-coloured complex tungstate(VI,V) is formed on reducing the compound with a very mild reducing agent, such as complex organic compounds. It is also thought to be a possible inhibitor of protein-tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase).[citation needed]
In organic chemistry, sodium tungstate is used as catalyst for epoxidation of alkenes and oxidation of alcohols into aldehydes or ketones.