BRAINCAKEHydrolysis of Esters
Hydrolysis of an ester uses water to split it back into a carboxylic acid (or its salt) and an alcohol. It can be carried out with an acid or with an alkali.
1. Acid hydrolysis
Heat the ester under reflux with a dilute acid, such as dilute sulfuric acid or hydrochloric acid. The acid is a catalyst. This is the reverse of esterification, so the reaction is reversible and does not go to completion.
CH3COOCH2CH3 + H2O ⇌ CH3COOH + CH3CH2OH
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More in Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives
- Reduction of Carboxylic Acids
- Reactions with Bases
- Reaction with PCl5
- Esterification
- Acyl Chlorides
- Reactions of Acyl Chlorides with Water, Alcohols, Ammonia and Amines
- Esters
- Polyesters
All 12 lessons in Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives · All Edexcel A-level Chemistry topics