Carboxylic Acids Flashcards
(14 cards)
Which are more acidic ? Carboxylic acids or alcohols ?
Carboxylic acids as the resulting ion is more stable
What factors affect acidity ?
- The strength of the bond being broken
- The stability of the resulting ion
What does a high pKa mean ?
Weaker acid
What is a strong acid ?
One that completely dissolves in water
Why do carboxylic acids get weaker as their carbon chain gets longer ?
Due to induction- the alkyl groups “push” electrons away from themselves towards the COOH group.
This increases the negative charge on the COOH group, which destabilises the ion
What is a carboxylate?
A negatively charged carboxylic acid
Why are carboxylic acids with chlorine groups on the same molecule stronger acids ?
Alkyl groups “push” electrons away from themselves
But the highly polar chlorine also “pulls” electrons
This keeps the negative charge away from the carboxylate group, which stabilises the ion
Esterification
Carboxylic acid + alcohol = ester + water
What is an ester ?
See paper notes
How to name esters ?
See paper notes +
-annotate is derived from the carboxylic acid used
-yll is derived from the alcohol used
What are the uses of esters ?
Perfumes and flavourings
Solvents
What are amides ?
They contain a carbonyl group (c=o) bonded to a nitrogen atom
Uses of carboxylic acids
Soap
What is the use of amides ?
They are peptide bonds that links amino acids together in proteins
