formation of esters (1 Viewer)

[*Pooja*]

(1)In the formation of a water molecule as a product: the -OH atom comes from the alkanol and the H comes from the alkanoic acid.

(2)When writing the formula for the ester, the aklanoates formula comes first, then the alkyl groups formula.

Are these things both true?

 

[kimmeh]

1> No. The OH comes from the alkanoic acid and the H comes from the alkanol.

2> it doesnt matter what you put first. i personally write it as the alkanol first because i can see the link easier and i can circle the water molecule so i dont get confused. So really, its up to you.

 

[xiao1985]

kimmel, i fink he's referin to the work formula... like, methylbutanoate... if that's wut u mean, alkyl group comes first, then alkanoic acid....

eg, ethyl butanoate...

on the other hand if you are referrin to the structural diagram, it doesn't matter...

 

[kimmeh]

ohh i get you know. i thought he/she meant which one do you draw first-not which one you name first thanks xiao =D

 

[spice girl]

the oxygen in the released water comes from the alkanoic acid, but the hydrogen, in truth, can come from anywhere (except hydrogens bound to carbon).

if you do an experiment where you have deuterium (heavy hydrogen) on the H of the OH in the alcohol, and dissolve it in water, and let it come to equilibrium, you will see that the deuterium will be in the water also. this is because the lone pair in the alcohol oxygen will, out of all randomness, steal a proton off a water, and release the proton that it already has.