What are the expected products of hydrolysis of an ester?

What are the expected products of hydrolysis of an ester?

• A. A ketone and a carboxylic acid
• B. An alcohol and a phenol
• C. A carboxylic acid and an alcohol
• D. An aldehyde and a ketone

Answer: (C)

The hydrolysis of an ester typically involves a reaction with water that results in the conversion of the ester into a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. This reaction is fundamentally based on the breaking of the ester bond, where the ester reacts with water, leading to the formation of two distinct products: one is the carboxylic acid (which originates from the acid component of the ester) and the other is the alcohol (which comes from the alcohol component of the ester). This process may occur under acidic or basic conditions, often referred to as acid-catalyzed or base-catalyzed hydrolysis, respectively. In both cases, the end products remain the same, reinforcing that hydrolysis of an ester will produce a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Understanding this reaction is crucial, as it illustrates the cleavage of an ester’s functional group and the generation of two important classes of organic compounds.

The hydrolysis of an ester typically involves a reaction with water that results in the conversion of the ester into a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. This reaction is fundamentally based on the breaking of the ester bond, where the ester reacts with water, leading to the formation of two distinct products: one is the carboxylic acid (which originates from the acid component of the ester) and the other is the alcohol (which comes from the alcohol component of the ester).

This process may occur under acidic or basic conditions, often referred to as acid-catalyzed or base-catalyzed hydrolysis, respectively. In both cases, the end products remain the same, reinforcing that hydrolysis of an ester will produce a carboxylic acid and an alcohol. Understanding this reaction is crucial, as it illustrates the cleavage of an ester’s functional group and the generation of two important classes of organic compounds.