Carboxylic Acids Flashcards
What is the functional group of a carboxylic acid?
-COOH
How are carboxylic acids formed?
Oxidising primary alcohols under reflux
Which carboxylic acids are more soluble?
Why?
Those with a lower Mr
The -COOH forms hydrogen bonds with water
Why are carboxylic acids only weak acids?
They only slightly dissociate in water
How is a carboxylate ion formed?
The carbonyl group attracts e- away from the -OH group which leads to the -OH bond being weakened so a proton is easily lost
Why are alcohols not acidic?
The -OH bond does not easily break
How does adding a halogen to a carboxylic acid affect the pH?
Eg chloroethanoic acid
Chlorine atom is more electronegative so withdraws e- density away from the carbonyl carbon. This causes the O-H bond to become more polar and weaken.
More H+ is therefore released, decreasing the pH
What is more acidic: ethanoic acid or chloroethanoic acid
Why?
chloroethanoic acid
Cl pulls e- towards itself
How are acyl chlorides formed?
The -OH group of the carboxylic acid is replaced by a chlorine atom
Why is the carbon atom in acyl chlorides readily attacked by nucleophiles?
Cl and O are more electronegative than C so the C atom is delta positive
How are acyl chlorides named?
It is derived from their corresponding carboxylic acid
Eg ethanoic acid forms ethanoyl Chloride
When there is an -OH in the middle of a carbon chain, how can you refer to it in the name?
With ‘hydroxy’
How to form acid anhydrides from carboxylic acids?
-OH group is replaced by -OCOR
When two molecules of carboxylic acids join with the elimination of water
How do you name an acid anhydride?
The suffix -anhydride replaces the -acid suffix at the end of the carboxylic acid name
If the two C chains are different, write them in alphabetical order
What is a good leaving group?
A stable species removed during a chemical reaction
What is the leaving group of acyl chlorides?
What is the by product?
Cl-
HCl
What is the leaving group of an acid anhydride?
What is the by product?
-OCOR
The corresponding carboxylic acid
Name the mechanism and reaction name for acylation
Nucleophilic addition elimination
Reduction
Describe nucleophilic addition elimination
Nucleophile attacks the delta positive carbon of the carbonyl group forcing the e- to move from the carbonyl bond to the O making an oxyanion
Carbonyl bond remade causing elimination of the leaving group
Nucleophile loses a H+
How are carboxylic acids formed? (3)
1) primary alcohols or aldehydes oxidised by acidified potassium dichromate
2) acyl chlorides react with water (nucleophilic addition elimination)
3) acid anhydrides react with water
Test for carboxylic acids
What is formed?
Add Sodium carbonate and CO2 is evolved and fizzing is seen
Ionic salts - these are soluble in water
Name of reaction to form an Ester
What are the reactants?
What is the byproduct?
Esterification
Carboxylic acid + alcohol with concentrated H2SO4 (or another strong acid) as a catalyst
Water
What is the isomerism linking esters and carboxylic acids?
They are functional group isomers
How do you name an Ester?
The alkyl chain of the alcohol is the prefix
The second part of the name is derived from the carboxylic acid - -oic is replaced with -oate
What are the 3 ways to form an Ester?
Esterification
Acyl Chlorides reacting with alcohols
Acid anhydrides react with alcohols
What is the name for the formation of esters from acyl chlorides?
Nucleophilic addition elimination
What is esterification?
Mixing a carboxylic acid and an alcohol in the presence of a concentrated H2SO4 catalyst to form an Ester and water
What is a base added after the formation of an Ester from acyl chlorides?
To neutralise HCl
Why are acyl chlorides preferred to carboxylic acids in the formation of esters?
No acid catalyst required
Purer product
Yield of Ester is higher as acyl chloride reaction is not reversible
What is the mechanism to form an Ester from alcohols and acid anhydrides?
What is formed?
Nucleophilic addition elimination
An Ester and a carboxylic acid
What is the most preferable way to form esters?
Why?
From acid anhydrides
Acid anhydrides are cheaper
They react less exothermically so it is less dangerous
Acid anhydrides are less vulnerable to hydrolysis
No corrosive HCl is formed
What is a major use of ethanoic anhydride?
Why is this used over ethanoyl Chloride ?
In aspirin
Ethanoic anhydride is cheaper, less corrosive, less vulnerable to hydrolysis, and less dangerous to use
What is the method for the re-crystallisation of crude product?
Dissolve sample in a minimum amount of hot solvent
Filter hot
Cool filtrate in a beaker placed in an ice bath
Filter sample using a Büchner funnel
Wash thoroughly to remove any SOLUBLE product
Alllow product to dry
Why do you dissolve the sample in a minimum amount of hot solvent when filtering under pressure/ during recrystallisation?
To Create a saturated solution and increase the yield
Why do you filter hot during recrystallising?
To prevent recrystallisation whilst filtering and to remove insoluble impurities
Why do you cool the filtrate during recrystallisation?
To increase amount of crystals formed
What is the method to test the melting point of the final product of recrystallisation of a crude product?
Use melting point apparatus provided to heat sample gently
Heat slowly close to melting point of aspirin
If aspirin is pure the sample should melt over 1-2 degrees and should have a melting point close to data book value
Impurities will cause melting point to be lower and have a larger range
Describe apparatus for filtering under pressure
Wide funnel, with horizontal filter paper, going into sealed Büchner funnel
Arm going off to the side leading to a vacuum pump
What is hydrolysis?
Breaking up a molecule with H2O or another small molecule