Hydrolysis of esters

Flussdiagrammknoten

• Formed during a reaction between a carboxylic acid and an alcohol-with acid catalyst

• Splitting into carboxylic acids and alcohols

• Acid hydrolysis

• Base hydrolysis

• Ester heated under reflux with dilute HCl

• Split into carboxylic acid and alcohol

• Ester heated under reflux with dilute alkali like NaOH solution

• Produce salt of carboxylic acid and alcohol

• Ester hydrolysed by water in presence of alkali

• Alkali reacts with carboxylic acid to form salt

• Alcohol distilled off-salt left in solution

• To get acid- add excess strong acid to solution after distillation