Acids, Esters and Polyesters Flashcards
What is the carboxyl functional group
A group that contains both a carbonyl group and a hydroxyl group.
What type of intermolecular forces are present in carboxylic acids
- London forces
- Permanent dipoles
- Hydrogen bonds
Why can carboxylic acids form hydrogen bonds
- The C=O and O-H bonds are polar allowing carboxylic acids to form hydrogen bonds
Describe the solubility of carboxylic acids
- Carboxylic acids with up to 4 carbons atoms are soluble in water
- They can form hydrogen bonds with water
- As the number of carbon atoms increases, the solubility decreases as the non-polar carbon chain has a greater effect on the overall polarity of the molecule.
Describe properties of dicarboxylic acids
- Have two polar carboxyl groups to form hydrogen bonds
- They are solids at room temperature
- Dissolve readily in water
Name the type of acid and show the equation when carboxylic acids are dissolved in water
- Weak acid
2. HCOOH ↔ H+(aq) + HCOO- (aq)
Name the salts formed from carboxylic acids
Carboxylates
Name two types of acid reactions carboxylic acids take part in
- Redox reactions with metals
2. Neutralisation reactions with bases
Describe the redox reaction of a carboxylic acid reacting with a metal, and show the equation for the reaction of propanoic acid with Magnesium
- Aqueous solutions of carboxylic acids react with metals in a redox reaction
- They form hydrogen gas and a carboxylate salt
- The metal disappears/dissolves and effervescence can be seen
- 2CH3CH2COOH (aq) + Mg (s) → (CH3CH2COO-)2Mg2+(aq) + H2 (g)
Describe the reaction between a carboxylic acid and a metal oxide, and give an example with ethanoic acid and calcium oxide
- Form salt and water
2. 2CH3COOH (aq) + CaO (s) → (CH3COO-)2 Ca2+ (aq) + H2O (l)
Describe the reaction between a carboxylic acid and an alkali, and give an example with ethanoic acid and sodium hydroxide, write ionic equation as well
- Form salt and water
- May not see anything as two solutions mix to form an aqueous solution of the salt
- CH3COOH (aq) + NaOH (aq) → CH3COO-Na+ (aq) + H2O (l)
- H+ (aq) + OH-(aq) → H2O (l)
Describe the reaction between a carboxylic acid and carbonates, and give an example with ethanoic acid and sodium carbonate
- Carbon dioxide produced
- If carboxylic acid is in excess a solid carbonate would disappear
- 2CH3COOH (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq) → 2CH3COO-Na+ (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g)
Describe the test for a carboxyl group
- Neutralisation reaction of carboxylic acids with carbonates e.g sodium carbonate
- Carboxylic acids are the only common organic compounds sufficiently acidic to react with carbonates,
- Especially useful for distinguishing between phenols and carboxylic acids, as phenols aren’t acidic enough
- Effervescence is produced
Name 3 derivatives of carboxylic acids
- Acyl chloride
- Acid anhydride
- Ester
What is a derivative of a carboxylic acid
- A compound that can be hydrolysed to form the parent carboxylic acid.
- They all contain an acyl group- Carbon bonded to R group, something else and a double bond to an oxygen
How do you name an acyl chloride and what do they look like
- It is named after the parent carboxylic acid from which it is derived
- Remove the oic acid suffix and replace with -oyl chloride
- Carbon attached to R group, double bonded to O and bonded to a Chlorine
- Number of carbon atoms relates e.g. propanoyl or butanoyl
How are acid anhydrides formed and show equation of the formation of ethanoic anhydride
- By the removal of water from two carboxylic acid molecules
- CH3COOH + CH3COOH → CH3COOCOCH3 + H2O
Describe how to form an ester from a carboxylic acid and an alcohol
- Esterification
2. Alcohol is warmed with carboxylic acid with small amount of concentrated sulfuric acid catalyst
Show the reaction between propanoic acid and ethanol
- CH3CH2COOH + CH3CH3OH → CH3CH2COOCH2CH2 + H2O
2. Forms ethyl propanoate
Define hydrolysis reaction
- A reaction with water that breaks a chemical compound into two compounds, the H and the OH in the water molecule becomes incorporated into the two compounds
Name the two ways that an ester can be hydrolysed
- Acid hydrolysis
2. Alkali hydrolysis
Describe how to hydrolyse an ester with acid hydrolysis
- Heated under reflux with dilute aqueous acid
- The ester is broken down by water, with the acid acting as a catalyst
- The products are a carboxylic acid and an alcohol
Show the equation for acid hydrolysis
- Ester + water ↔ alcohol + carboxylic acid
- Dilute H2SO4 (aq) or HCl (aq) (reagents as contain H2O but aren’t written in equation)
- Heat under reflux
Why do you use a dilute acid in the hydrolysis of an ester
- Acid hydrolysis is the reverse equation of esterification
- A dilute aqueous acid contains H2O so moves the equilibrium to the right.
- CH3COOCH3 + H2O ↔ CH3OH + CH3COOH
Why is it impossible to achieve 100% yield from acid hydrolysis of esters
It is a reversible reaction, so only an equilibrium yield is reached
Describe how to hydrolyse an ester with alkaline hydrolysis
- Heat under reflux with aqueous hydroxide ions
- Irreversible reaction
- Produces a carboxylate ion and an alcohol
Show the equation for alkaline hydrolysis and give example with methyl ethanoate and sodium hydroxide
- Ester + OH- → Carboxylate ion + Alcohol
2. CH3COOCH3 + NaOH → CH3COO-Na+ + CH3OH
How can a carboxylic acid be recovered from a carboxylate salt
- Weak acids do not fully dissociate in aqueous solution to release H+ ions, but exist in one equilibrium
- RCOOH ↔ ROO- + H+
- The carboxylate salt in aqueous solution exists as separate RCOO- ions and positive metal ions.
- If a strong acid such as HCl (aq) were added, the H+ ions will react with the carboxylate ions to form undissociated carboxylic acid.
- So acidification of the salt solution will allow us to recover the carboxylic acid
How can acyl chlorides be prepared
- From their parent carboxylic acid reacting with thionyl chloride SOCl2.
- Other products SO2 and HCl are evolved as gases, leaving just the acyl chloride
Write equation for the reaction for the formation of propanoyl chloride
- CH3CH2COOH + SOCl2 → CH3CH2COCl + SO2 + HCl
How can acyl chlorides make an ester
- React with alcohol or phenol
2. Form ester and HCl
Write equations for the reactions of ethanoyl chloride with propan-1-ol and ethanoyl chloride with phenol
- CH3COCl + CH3CH2CH2OH → CH3COOCH2CH2CH3 +HCl
2. CH3COCl + phenol → CH3COObenzene ring + HCl
Write equation and observations that would form if ethanoyl chloride reacted with water
- Violent reaction
- Evolution of dense steamy hydrogen chloride fumes
- CH3COCl + H2O → CH3COOH + HCl
Describe the reaction between acyl chlorides and ammonia and give example with ethanoyl chloride
- Ammonia can act as a nucleophile by donating the lone pair of electrons on the nitrogen atom to an electron-deficient species
- Forms primary amides when reacting with acyl chlorides (Nitrogen atom attached to one carbon atom)
- CH3COCl + 2NH3 → CH3CONH2 + NH4Cl
Describe the reaction between acyl chlorides and amines and give an example with ethanoyl chloride and methyl primary amine
- Primary amine reacts with acyl chloride in the same way as ammonia to form secondary amide (Nitrogen atom attached to two carbon atoms)
- CH3COCl + 2CH3NH2 → CH3CONHCH3 + CH3NH3+Cl-
What is more reactive acyl chlorides or acid anhydrides
- Acyl chlorides are more reactive
Describe how to make an ester from an acid anhydride
- React with alcohol
2. Forms ester and carboxylic aid
Write equation to show the reaction between ethanoic anhydride and phenol
- 2(CH3CO)2O + C6H5OH → CH3COOC6H5 + CH3COOH
2. Ethanoic anhydride + phenol → phenyl ethanoate + ethanoic acid
State the two functional groups that must be present in monomers to form a polyester
- Carboxylic acid
2. Alcohol
What are the different combinations of monomers that could lead to the formation of a polyester
- Dicarboxylic acid and diol
2. Hydroxycarboxylic acid
What is the name of the reaction that forms polyesters
Condensation reactions
How do you write equations for the formation of polyesters
- n Reactants → (product)n + (2n-1)H2O
- In the product you should see a ester where the two reactants have joined.
- Only one single bond O should be left dangling at the end
- If you joined one end of the product in brackets with other end it would join to make ester.
Name the two ways a polyester can be hydrolysed
- Base hydrolysis- NaOH/H2O
- Acid hydrolysis- H+/H2O
- Will form the two monomers that made that polyester