Carboxylic acids are not reactive enough to be directly attacked, hence the addition of a strong mineral acid such as sulfuric acid.
Carboxylic acids are not reactive enough to be directly attacked, hence the addition of a strong mineral acid such as sulfuric acid. The acid catalyst protonates the carbonyl oxygen, giving the carboxylic acid a positive charge and making it susceptible to attack from an alcohol, which serves as solvent for the reaction. Loss of water from this intermediate produces the desired product. For ten points, identify this organic chemistry reaction, named for a German chemist, where an ester is synthesized from carboxylic acid and alcohol.
Carboxylic acids are not reactive enough to be directly attacked, hence the addition of a strong mineral acid such as sulfuric acid.
{Fischer esterification}