What is an Ester?
Ester is a chemical compound derived from an acid in which at least one hydroxyl group (–OH) is replaced by an alkyl (–O–) or alkoxy (–O–) group. Esters are common in organic chemistry and biological materials and often have a pleasant, fruity odor.
General formula for Ester is ROOR’
where,
- R and R’ can be any Alkyl or Aryl Group
[e.g. Methyl(-CH3), Ethyl(-C2H5)] or Aryl [(e.g. Phenyl(-C6H5)] or Hydrogen Atom (-H)]
Some examples of Ester are:
- Methylformate (CH3OOCH)
- Propylpropanoate(C2H5COOC3H7)
- Phenylacetate(C6H5COOCH3) etc.
Hydrolysis of EstersEster Hydrolysis with NaOH
Ester hydrolysis is breaking down an ester into its constituent carboxylic acid and alcohol this takes place in an acidic or basic medium. The mechanisms of acid-catalyzed ester hydrolysis differ, with base-catalyzed hydrolysis being irreversible.
In this article, we look into what ester is, the hydrolysis of ester, its reaction, mechanism, application, etc.
Table of Content
- What is an Ester?
- What is Hydrolysis?
- Ester Hydrolysis
- Ester Hydrolysis with H2SO4
- Hydrolyzing Ester to Make Soap
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