Carboxylic Acids and Derivatives Flashcards
Describe the solubility of small carboxylic acids in water.
Small carboxylic acids (up to C4) dissolve in water in all proportions due to their ability to hydrogen bond with water molecules.
How does the solubility of carboxylic acids change with increasing carbon chain length?
The solubility of carboxylic acids rapidly reduces after C4, as larger acids are less able to hydrogen bond with water.
Define the acidity of carboxylic acids in water.
Carboxylic acids are weak acids in water, only slightly dissociating, but they can displace carbon dioxide from carbonates.
Explain the role of delocalisation in carboxylic acid salts.
Delocalisation stabilises carboxylic acid salts, making their dissociation more likely and resulting in equal C-O bond lengths.
How does increasing chain length affect the strength of carboxylic acids?
Increasing chain length pushes electron density onto the COO- ion, making it more negative and less stable, which decreases the acid’s strength.
What effect do alkyl groups have on carboxylic acid strength?
Alkyl groups are electron-releasing, which can decrease the stability of the COO- ion, making the acid less strong.
How do electronegative chlorine atoms influence carboxylic acid strength?
Electronegative chlorine atoms withdraw electron density from the COO- ion, making it less negative and more stable, which increases the acid’s strength.
Compare the acidity of propanoic acid and ethanoic acid.
Propanoic acid is less acidic than ethanoic acid due to the effects of chain length on stability.
Compare the acidity of chloroethanoic acid and ethanoic acid.
Chloroethanoic acid is more acidic than ethanoic acid because the chlorine atom withdraws electron density, increasing stability.
Define the naming convention for carboxylic acids.
Carboxylic acids are named with the ending ‘-oic acid’, and no number is necessary for the acid group as it is always at the end of the chain.
What is the naming convention for carboxylic acids with groups on both ends of the chain?
Carboxylic acids with groups on both ends of the chain are called ‘-dioic acids’.
Provide an example of a carboxylic acid and its name.
Propan-1-oic acid is an example of a carboxylic acid.
What is the significance of the ‘e’ in the name ethanedioic acid?
The ‘e’ in ethanedioic acid indicates the presence of carboxylic acid groups on both ends of the carbon chain.
Describe the process of esterification.
Esterification is the reaction between carboxylic acids and alcohols in the presence of a strong acid catalyst, resulting in the formation of esters and water.
Define the components of an ester name.
An ester name consists of two parts: the part ending in –yl comes from the alcohol, and the part ending in –anoate comes from the carboxylic acid.
How does the esterification reaction proceed?
The reaction proceeds as follows: carboxylic acid + alcohol ⇌ ester + water, and it is reversible.
What conditions are required for the esterification reaction?
The esterification reaction requires heating under reflux, often for several hours or days, and the presence of an acid catalyst, such as H2SO4.
Explain the yield of the esterification reaction.
The yield of the esterification reaction is typically low, around 50%.
What are the characteristics of esters used in perfumes?
Esters used in perfumes need to be non-toxic, soluble in solvents like ethanol, volatile, and not reactive with water.
List some uses of esters.
Esters are used in perfumes, flavorings, solvents for polar organic substances, and as plasticizers for polymers.
How do esters behave as solvents?
Esters can act as solvents for polar organic substances, but they do not form hydrogen bonds due to the absence of hydrogen bonded to a highly electronegative atom.
What is the boiling point of esters compared to their parent carboxylic acids?
Esters have a lower boiling point than the hydrogen-bonded carboxylic acids from which they are derived.
Describe the oxidation of methanoic acid.
Methanoic acid can be oxidized, unlike other carboxylic acids, due to its structure containing an aldehyde group, forming carbonic acid (H2CO3), which can decompose to give CO2.
What happens when carboxylic acids react with metals?
When carboxylic acids react with metals, they form salts and release hydrogen gas.
Explain the reaction of carboxylic acids with alkalis.
Carboxylic acids react with alkalis to form salts and water.
What is the result of carboxylic acids reacting with carbonates?
Carboxylic acids react with carbonates to form salts, water, and carbon dioxide.
How do plasticizers affect polymers?
Plasticizers increase the flexibility of polymers by allowing the polymer chains to move more easily over each other.
Describe the hydrolysis of esters with acid.
Esters can be hydrolysed by heating with dilute acid (HCl) under reflux, resulting in the formation of a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. This reaction is reversible and does not yield a good amount of products.
What are the products of ester hydrolysis with acid?
The products of ester hydrolysis with acid are a carboxylic acid and an alcohol.
Define the conditions required for ester hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide.
Ester hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide requires heating under reflux with dilute sodium hydroxide.
How does the hydrolysis of esters with sodium hydroxide differ from that with acid?
The hydrolysis of esters with sodium hydroxide goes to completion and is not reversible, while hydrolysis with acid is reversible and yields less product.
Explain the significance of using excess sodium hydroxide in ester hydrolysis.
Using excess sodium hydroxide ensures that the ester is completely hydrolysed, leading to a more complete reaction.
What happens to the carboxylic acid salt produced in sodium hydroxide hydrolysis?
The carboxylic acid salt produced is the anion of the carboxylic acid, which is resistant to attack by weak nucleophiles, making the reaction irreversible.
Describe the practical method for hydrolysing ethyl benzoate.
To hydrolyse ethyl benzoate, heat it with sodium hydroxide under reflux for 30 minutes, then cool the mixture and add hydrochloric acid to produce a precipitate of benzoic acid.
What is the result of adding hydrochloric acid to sodium benzoate after hydrolysis?
Adding hydrochloric acid to sodium benzoate produces benzoic acid and sodium chloride.
How can benzoic acid be purified after hydrolysis?
Benzoic acid can be purified using the steps outlined in practical guide AQA required practical 10 for the purification of an organic solid.
Explain why sodium benzoate is soluble in water while benzoic acid is not.
Sodium benzoate is ionic and soluble in water, whereas benzoic acid is not soluble due to its molecular structure.