PREPARATION AND NAMING OF ESTERS FROM CARBOXYLIC ACIDS

PREPARATION AND NAMING OF ESTERS FROM CARBOXYLIC ACIDS. This method can be used for converting alcohols into esters, but it doesn't work with phenols - compounds where the -OH group is attached directly to a benzene ring. Phenols react with carboxylic acids so slowly that the reaction is unusable for preparation purposes. Esters are produced when carboxylic acids are heated with alcohols in the presence of an acid catalyst. The catalyst is usually concentrated sulphuric acid. Dry hydrogen chloride gas is used in some cases, but these tend to involve aromatic esters (ones where the carboxylic acid contains a benzene ring). The esterification reaction is both slow and reversible. The equation for the reaction between an acid RCOOH and an alcohol R'OH (where R and R' can be the same or different) is:  RCOOH + ROH = RC=O OR Esters has 2 parts: Acid group : RC=O Alcohol Group : OR Parent compound is acid group: