What Is the Function of Sulfuric Acid in Esterification?
Esterification is a type of organic chemical reaction. It is the reaction between alcohol and carboxylic acid or oxygen-containing inorganic acid to form ester and water. Divided into carboxylic acid and alcohol reaction and inorganic oxyacid and alcohol reaction and inorganic strong acid and alcohol reaction. The esterification of carboxylic acid with alcohol is reversible, and the reaction is generally very slow, so concentrated sulfuric acid is often used as a catalyst. Polyhydric carboxylic acids react with alcohols to form a variety of esters. The reaction of inorganic strong acid with alcohol is generally faster. The typical esterification reaction is the reaction of ethanol and acetic acid to produce ethyl acetate with aromatic odor. Esterification is widely used in organic synthesis and other fields.
- Two compounds form
- belong
- SN2 mechanism
- In the esterification reaction, there is a series of reversible equilibrium reaction steps. Step is a step for controlling the esterification reaction, and step is a step for controlling the hydrolysis of the ester. This reaction is a SN2 reaction and undergoes an addition-elimination process.
- The oxygen of the ester comes from the hydroxyl group, and the oxygen of the water comes from the carboxyl group.
- Fisher esterification
- The esterification reaction is generally
- Ethyl alcohol and acetic acid (commonly known as acetic acid) are esterified to produce ethyl acetate with an aromatic odor, which is a raw material for manufacturing dyes and medicines. In the cooking process of some dishes, if vinegar and wine are added at the same time, a partial esterification reaction will also occur to generate aromatic esters, making the dishes more delicious. If the reaction is to meet the industrial requirements, it is necessary to use sulfuric acid as a catalyst, and sulfuric acid simultaneously absorbs water generated during the reaction to make the esterification reaction more thorough.
- Esterification reaction of methanol and terephthalic acid will generate dimethyl terephthalate, and the transesterification reaction of dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol can produce polyethylene terephthalate, that is, Polyester, octanol and terephthalic acid can be used to synthesize plasticizer dioctyl terephthalate.
- Alcohols and inorganic acids can also undergo esterification reactions. For example, methanol and sulfuric acid react to form dimethyl sulfate. It is a methylation reagent that can introduce methyl groups into carbohydrates. [4]