Question

In esterification reactions, the products are in chemical equilibrium with the reactants. Why was the reaction kept free of water during heating?

Answer 1

Answer:

Well, because esterification is an equilibrium reaction, and water is one of the products.

Explanation:

We write the generalized esterification this way:

Acid + alcohol

⇌

Ester + water

, or more usefully symbolically:

R

(

C

=

O

)

O

H

+

H

O

R

'

⇌

R

(

C

=

O

)

O

R

'

+

H

2

O

For this reaction, the equilibrium is likely to lie to the left. That is, at equilibrium, the reactants are favoured. But that really does not matter, because esterifications are usually done under Dean Stark conditions, on which I will elaborate, which effectively removes the water from the equilibrium, and which DRIVES the equilibrium to the right as we face the page....

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