ChemistryCode 9701
Carboxylic acids
What this topic asks you to be able to do
- recall the ways carboxylic acids can be made: (a) oxidising primary alcohols and aldehydes by refluxing with acidified K2Cr2O7 or acidified KMnO4 (b) hydrolysing nitriles using dilute acid or dilute alkali, then acidifying (c) hydrolysing esters by heating with dilute acid or dilute alkali, then acidifying
- describe: (a) the redox reaction between reactive metals and acids, giving a salt together with H2(g) (b) neutralisation of acids by alkalis, where the products are a salt and H2O(l) (c) the acid–base reaction of acids with carbonates, yielding a salt, H2O(l) and CO2(g) (d) esterification of acids with alcohols, using concentrated H2SO4 as a catalyst (e) reduction with LiAlH4, which forms a primary alcohol