Home > Community > Will sulphuric acid react with water produced in an esterification process?
Upvote

26

Downvote
+ Esters
Posted by
Noor Muhammad Khan

Will sulphuric acid react with water produced in an esterification process?

Anthony John Finch  Follow

Sulfuric acid acts as catalyst meaning it is regenerated at the end of the reaction. In the presence of water or other bases, sulfuric acid will primarily be deprotonated. $$\ce{H2O + H2SO4->H3O+ + HSO4-}$$

It is occasionally more correct to consider the water acting as a catalyst. Any time that you have a strong acid acting as a catalyst, because its deprotonation is much more likely than the organic reaction, it is nearly completely deprotonated at a given time. Thus the protonated $\ce{H3O+}$ will act as your catalyst. protonating the carboxylic acid and deprotonating the ester.

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote
Bruce Gordon  Follow

Sulfuric acid is a dehydrating agent. This should the water produced in Fischer Esterification. This will stop the ester from hydrolyzing. The ions produced from the deprotonation of sulfuric acid should also help in catalyzing the reaction. This will push the reaction to the right.

More

Upvote

VOTE

Downvote