Ester Hydrolysis: Overview, Questions, Preparation

Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers

Updated on Apr 17, 2021 05:05 IST

Ester is simply a chemical solution that is obtained from organic and inorganic acids. In this, at least one hydroxyl group is interchanged with an alkoxy group. They are easily founded in essential oils and pheromones if having low molar mass. They are colder than ethers and less cold than alcohol.

Hydrolysis, as the name suggests, is a reaction with water. Hydro means 'water', and lysis means 'to unbind'. One of the oldest examples of Hydrolysis is Triglycerides, and it has been used in the making of soap, and this reaction is known as saponification. In this reaction, hydroxide ions attack the carboxyl group in the esters of triglycerides. 

 Ester hydrolysis

When dilute hydrochloric acid is heated with ester, reactions can be reversed. This is known as Ester hydrolysis.

Ester Hydrolysis

Mechanism of ester hydrolysis

  1. The nucleophiles react when reacted with hydroxide electrophiles at C=0; thus, generating the tetrahedral medium.
  2. When the medium crumbles, C=0 will result in the negative feature and form the group alkoxide.
  3. When the reaction of acids and bases reaches the equilibrium point, it would allow the carboxylic acid to gather the reaction.

Applications of ester hydrolysis

  1. Sodium acetic acid is a derivation of salt. When the water is added to the solution, the solution gets separated, leaving it alone in the sodium particles and acetic acid. After that, the acetic acid and hydrogen ions react with each other to make the corrosive termed acidic corrosive.
  2. Alkyl halides are synthetic in nature. They are frequently fixed with the particles of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). When water is added to the solution, the color changes, and it forms into the liquor, which remains secure from the earth for most of the time.
  3. Sucrose is a sugar-like disaccharide known as table sugar. When performed in the hydrolysis process, it turns into two separate monosaccharide sugar particles called glucose and fructose. These sugar particles are utilised for the sustenance business.  

 Ester Hydrolysis for Class 12

Ester Hydrolysis is the topic that nests under the umbrella chapter of Alcohols, Phenols & Ether. Overall, the weightage for this is determined to be about 6-7 marks . The breakdown includes 1 objective type short question, 2 very short type of questions of 1 mark each, and 3 short type questions of 1 mark each. This brings the total of marks up to 6.

Illustrated Examples

 Example 1) In any solution of your pick, showcase the process or equation of hydrolysis of methyl benzoate.

Answer – As seen in the illustration below, the molecule present at the base is responsible for splitting the ester linkage. Free alcohol comes because of the ester portion of the alcohol.
Este rHydrolysis
  Example 2) Explain Saponification.

Answer – Saponification is just another name for the process of Hydrolysis of ester. This definition depicts that the hydrolysis process in place is basic.

 Example 3) Write some of the famous examples of ester.

Answer – Ethyl acetate is considered as the famous ester. Some other examples include ethyl propanoate, methyl butanoate, etc.

FAQs regarding Ester Hydrolysis

Q. In how many ways can ester be hydrolyzed?

A.  Ester can be hydrolyzed by water (it will be slow), catalyzed by acids (H+), and alkalis (OH-).  

Q. Why is water not used in the process of hydrolysis of an ester?

A.  Water takes time while reacting with other solutions, and is a slow process, So, the use of water is limited.  

Q. What is the chemical formula of ester?

A.  The chemical formula of ester is RCOOR.

Q. Is the process of ester hydrolysis slow?

A.  The process of ester hydrolysis is slow in the beginning because when an acid reacts with H+ ions, it will act as a catalyst for the performing reaction.   

Q. What is the purpose of hydrolysis?

A.   The purpose of hydrolysis is to use the water to split up the polymers into monomers.   

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